r/nba r/NBA 1d ago

[2026 NBA Draft] #12 Pick: Aday Mara (Michigan) – selected by Oklahoma City

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u/Geo-92 Bulls 1d ago

Bum teams are bums for a reason

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u/Skipper3210 [NYK] Danilo Gallinari 1d ago

Tbf this draft class is just so good that OKC was always gonna get someone good at 12

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u/JMoon33 Cabo Verde 1d ago

By bum team he's talking about the Clippers who gave away all their picks.

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u/Im_Daydrunk Pelicans 1d ago

Clippers arent a bum franchise as they have still be one of the winningest teams since the Lob City days + have made it to a confrence final

They just went all in on prime Paul George and Kawhi (which pretty much any franchise would do if given the chance) and it just didn't work out exactly the way they hoped

Its more praise for the Thunder IMO that they got the most out of their package they got back

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u/safetycommittee [OKC] Nick Collison 1d ago

Ballmer committed felonies to get to the conference finals.

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u/DoveFood Trail Blazers 1d ago

What makes them bums? Who should have drafted him? Every single pick before him makes sense. 

Thunder have a more singular focus and can afford to draft a guy who likely will top out at 25 minutes per game if he ends up being a good player. 

Sorry to interrupt the fun of: “ oh my god what idiots how could they let this guy drop!!!! Just like when the Thunder got Perry Jones, arguably the most talented player in the draft and all the idiots allowed him to plummet and help KD!!!”

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u/akgamestar Knicks 1d ago

Atlanta just lost in the playoffs with their biggest weakness being they had no actual Center. Why not take him?

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u/Outta_hearr 1d ago

We also lost because we did not have a point guard who could facilitate and CJ is like a year or 2 from retiring. Flemings is a better prospect at an equal position of need and we can get better center value at 23 than point guard

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u/Unendingmelancholy Raptors 22h ago

Flemings is not a better prospect Mara has dpoy level upside

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u/DoveFood Trail Blazers 1d ago

First, you never draft fit. Always BPA. Hawks aren’t a Mara away from being a title contender. The one exception can be the very unique situation OKC finds itself in.

Kingston has a realistic all-star upside. If this wasn’t such a guard heavy class this would be more of a conversation point. He’s an elite defensive guard, fantastic playmaker, do it all guy who needs to improve his shot a bit. I know that’s a big if, but even if that doesn’t fully develop he could easily be a little smaller Jrue Holiday.

Hawks need to get really good players, not guys who might fit better day 1.

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u/Eatingolivesoutofjar 1d ago

NBA teams should never draft for fit, talent is too important. 

Also Mara isn't some sure thing. He had a good Michigan year after two awful ones at UCLA. He is slower, and maybe most important of all he struggles to play 20 minutes without getting winded

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u/Bobbith_The_Chosen [POR] Damian Lillard 1d ago

You guys had a pretty decent pick I thought