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Thunder Draft 7-Foot-3 Center Aday Mara, Trade for Guard

6/24/2026

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Summary

Thunder Drafts Mara

Oklahoma City Thunder chose 7-foot-3 center Aday Mara with the 12th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft on June 24, 2026.
The Thunder traded Ebuka Okorie’s rights and two future second-round picks to Memphis for the 16th-overall rights to guard Bennett Stirtz.
Mara, who posted 12.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.6 blocks at Michigan, is billed as a “Wemby stopper” and potential long-term replacement for backup center Isaiah Hartenstein.

Summary

Mara Drafted

Mara was selected fifth overall, the highest-drafted Spanish player since Ricky Rubio in 2009.
He transferred from UCLA to Michigan, started, won Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, helped win first national championship since 1989, and earned silver medals at U17, U18 and U20 FIBA events averaging 11.7 points and 6.3 rebounds.
He signed a four-year, $27 million rookie deal and posted a 33-inch vertical at the NBA Combine.

History

Historical Context

In the 2009 NBA draft, the Minnesota Timberwolves selected Spanish guard Ricky Rubio with the fifth overall pick, the first player born in the 1990s and a high-profile European prospect. Rubio’s later trade to the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2020 illustrated how teams increasingly use international talent to reshape rosters, a trend that continues as franchises seek overseas players for marketability and impact.

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Thunder Drafts Mara

Oklahoma City Thunder chose 7-foot-3 center Aday Mara with the 12th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft on June 24, 2026.
The Thunder traded Ebuka Okorie’s rights and two future second-round picks to Memphis for the 16th-overall rights to guard Bennett Stirtz.
Mara, who posted 12.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.6 blocks at Michigan, is billed as a “Wemby stopper” and potential long-term replacement for backup center Isaiah Hartenstein.

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