Michigan Center Aday Mara Declares for 2026 NBA Draft — What It Means for Wolverines

The Wolverines will be without one of their key cogs.

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Michigan made headlines last spring when Dusty May landed a pair of Big Ten big men out of the transfer portal. Aday Mara (UCLA) and Morez Johnson Jr. (Illinois) came off the bench in their first collegiate stop, but Michigan saw something greater in them.

Fast forward one year, and Michigan won a national title with both Mara and Johnson Jr. being key cogs in the middle for the Wolverines. And it appears that both players will leave Ann Arbor after one season with Michigan.

Earlier on Friday, Johnson Jr. announced he would enter the 2026 NBA Draft — while maintaining his collegiate eligibility. Shortly after, Mara announced he would also enter the '26 NBA Draft.

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The 7'3" center had a breakout year in Ann Arbor, after seeing limited playing time at UCLA for two seasons. Playing in 23.4 minutes per game, Mara averaged 12.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. He was also the best shot blocker in the country, blocking 2.6 shots per game. Mara made his first-ever collegiate three-pointer wearing the Maize and Blue, and shot 30% from deep this past season.

Mara might've only spent one season playing at Michigan, but he will go down as one of the more dominant big men at the University of Michigan.

Mara is predicted to go mid-first round, with the upside of sneaking into the lottery. With a good showing at the Combine, Mara, along with Yaxel Lendeborg, could be lottery picks for Michigan this summer.

What Mara's loss means for Michigan

The Wolverines' front court is essentially gone after one season. Barring Johnson Jr. coming back one more season, Michigan is set to lose both starters, along with Will Tschetter (graduation) and Malick Kordel (transfer).

Michigan has hit the portal hard and landed three transfer big men.

The Wolverines first landed Tennessee's 6'11" forward J.P. Estrella, and then landed two more big men in the past two days. On Thursday, news broke that Michigan had received a commitment from LSU veteran forward Jalen Reed, who is 6'10" and is very athletic. On Friday, around the same time Johnson Jr. announced he would enter the draft, Michigan landed one of the top transfers on the market, in 7'2" center Moustapha Thiam from Cincinnati.

Michigan also gains true freshman Quinn Costello, who is 6'10" and a top-40 prospect. Add in Oscar Goodman, who can play bigger than his size, and the Wolverines will have five players they can rotate and feel confident about playing in 2026-27.

Obviously, it's going to be hard to replace Mara and Johnson Jr. — assuming Johnson Jr. doesn't come back — but Michigan likes what it has for its front court entering next season.