With the 12th pick of the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft, the Oklahoma City Thunder selected Michigan Basketball center Aday Mara.
Born in Zaragoza, Spain, Mara began his professional basketball career in 2021 with Basket Zaragoza before making the leap to college basketball. At the FIBA U18 European Championships in the summer of 2023, he averaged 14 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.7 blocks per game through seven games. That helped get him on the radars of college programs as one of the highest upside international prospects.
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Mara committed to play at UCLA, but was infamously underutilized his first two seasons of college basketball. He entered the transfer portal, looking for a better opportunity, and eventually committed to Michigan. That decision paid off big time, as he averaged 12.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game while anchoring the most dominant front court in all of college basketball. On top of being a national champion, Mara also earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year after compiling a program-record 104 blocks — constantly making a difference on close-range shots — and Third-Team All-Big Ten.
Perhaps his most memorable game was his 26-point outburst against Arizona in the 91-73 blowout win in the Final Four.
Mara was a projected lottery pick by most media outlets heading into draft night, with scouts consistently pointing to his rare combination of size, passing ability and defense as the foundations of his NBA appeal. At 7-foot-3 (barefoot) with a 7-foot-6.75 wingspan, he is one of the longest players in the entire draft class and should continue making a major impact defensively at the next level, at the very least.
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Good luck in the NBA, Aday!
