Aday Mara's Passing Can Electrify OKC Thunder Rotation

Aday Mara is one of the best defensive prospects in the class; he also has exceptional passing skills from the center position.

Apr 6, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan Wolverines center Aday Mara (15) and UConn Huskies forward Jayden Ross (23) fight for the ball in the second half during the national championship of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The Oklahoma City Thunder drafted one of, if not the best, defensive prospects in the 2026 NBA Draft in Michigan big man Aday Mara. While his larger than 7-foot frame and elite rim-protecting talent are easy to talk about, his offensive skill sets will bring the Thunder elite passing from the center position in every unit.

Mara uses his 7-foot-3 height to look over his defender and search for any potential passing lanes to find cutters when positioned in the high post, creating easy offense for his team. This was a crucial source of half-court offense for the NCAA's National Champions last season.

"Obviously, it's very rare to have somebody with that type of feel for the game that also presents and has the level of rim protection on the other end of the floor," Thunder General Manager Sam Presti said during OKC's Rookie Introductory Press Conference. "It's usually trade-offs. That package doesn't come together very often."

The former UCLA Bruin and Michigan Wolverine has a strong feel on the floor that Presti mentioned, as well as selflessness when the ball finds his hands. Mara would rather make the correct play than score himself.

"When someone gets a basket, it makes one person happy," Mara said. "When someone makes an assist, it's two people, the guy who passes the ball and the guy who scores."

Mara averaged 12.1 points, 6.1 rebounds in a loaded frontcourt and 2.1 assists per game this past NCAA season; he shot a Big 10-leading 66.8% overall. He also averaged a conference-best 2.6 blocks per game, being awarded the Big 10 Defensive Player of the Year Award with recognition on the All-Big 10, All-Big 10 Tournament, All-Defense for the conference and All-NCAA Tournament teams.

This immense recognition will follow Mara to his first NBA stop in Oklahoma City, where he will bring his elite feel and passing to a team that already has an elite passing big in Isaiah Hartenstein.

Hartenstein and Mara are similar in their styles of play on the offensive side of the ball, making the switch between units seamless. The veteran big man could also be an important mentor for the rookie center.

With the two non-3-point threats being unlikely to play on the floor together, it ensures that at least one player with that skill will stay on the floor at all times, as Jaylin Williams is also a strong passer for a forward.

While Mara adds a skill that OKC already has on its roster, his passing will play a big role for his entire Thunder career.