Aday Mara Is Ready To Contribute However The OKC Thunder Need Him To

The Michigan big man knows he won't be the star of the show and is ready to embrace his new role.

Apr 6, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan Wolverines center Aday Mara (15) reacts after a play against the UConn Huskies during the first half in the national championship of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament between the and the Michigan Wolverines at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The newest Thunder big man is ready for whatever role he can help fill. 

With Oklahoma City’s first selection in this year’s draft, the team took Aday Mara, a 7-foot-3 center from Michigan. Mara is set to shore up the Thunder’s frontcourt, as although the pair of Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren is one of the best in the league, OKC lacked true depth at the position. 

Mara averaged 12.1 points per game and 6.8 rebounds in his last year, helping lead Michigan to a national championship. The big man might still be riding high off the highest achievement you can reach in college, but his role at the next level is going to be much different. 

Mara is walking into a frontcourt that is occupied by two of the best in the league. Holmgren was considered one of the best defenders in the league last year, finishing second in Defensive Player of the Year voting, while also averaging 17.1 points per game. Standing right beside him is Hartenstein, whom the Thunder just re-signed to a long-term deal. Hartenstein averaged 9.4 rebounds per game for OKC last year and was key in the playoffs with his physical defense. 

Mara won’t be asked to carry the majority of the weight for the Thunder this season, and will have to be molded into the type of player OKC needs him to be, and Thunder general manager Sam Presti doesn’t see that being a problem. 

“I think the other thing is having been around a really good team at Michigan and figuring out how do you fit into a team with other good players and when you yourself are a good player, and that takes sacrifice,” Presti said. “I think we've seen that across the board with the team that we have here. We have a lot of guys that are extremely talented, and they have been asked to make room for other talented players in order for the team to be successful. He's kind of like intuitively speaks that language for us from a basketball sense.”

Mara has also expressed how he is excited to step into whatever role the Thunder needs him in and is grateful for the opportunity. 

“When someone gets a basket, it makes one person happy,” Mara says. “When someone makes an assist, it's two people, the guy who pass the ball and the guy who scores.”

This type of selfless nature is exactly what has allowed OKC to succeed in the past, and if Mara truly buys into the culture, it could be the reason they continue to succeed in the future.