Aday Mara's Scoring Only Expected To Develop More Come Regular Season

With more playmakers available in the regular season, Mara will have an easier time scoring.

Jun 23, 2026; New York, NY, USA; Draft prospect Aday Mara poses for photos on the red carpet before the 2026 NBA draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Summer League is only the beginning for the Oklahoma City big man. 

While the Oklahoma City Thunder as a whole haven’t had the best summer league as a whole, there have been good individual performances that should have the franchise excited when the regular season begins. 

Bennett Stirtz has been finding his stride and has shown he can hit shots when needed, but the biggest role during the year will most likely belong to Aday Mara. Mara has shown he can be more than helpful, as he has benefited OKC on the scoreboard and the glass, racking up 10 points and nine rebounds in the Thunder’s latest bout against Golden State. 

While this performance was good on its own, Mara’s scoring performances might just be at their beginning. Mara can expect to have a solid number of minutes this upcoming regular season, as he will likely be the Thunder’s second-team center. Not only will these real NBA minutes allow him to put up points, but the playmakers around him will be the key. 

Because of the lack of experience that OKC has in the Summer League, there hasn’t been a player who has been able to create opportunities consistently for Mara besides himself. You can see this in the assist numbers, as Mara himself was the team leader in assists in the team’s most recent game against the Warriors. 

While it is exciting that Mara will be able to be another playmaking big man beside Isaiah Hartenstein, it will also be good for Mara to have more opportunities to score. The newest Thunder big will get to work alongside Ajay Mitchell, Alex Caruso and more to take pressure off himself and allow him to get into position to score. 

This could aid OKC tremendously, as Mara’s 7-foot-3 frame could allow him to dominate opponents’ reserves and could even be another piece to try to help against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs. 

There are still a couple of Summer League games left for Mara to work on his own game, but he will just have to keep in mind that regular-season play will look quite different from what he is experiencing right now. His play has justified OKC taking him at the No. 12 spot in the draft, and soon, when he has real playmakers around him, he could prove to be better than OKC had first imagined.