Mara was selected by the Thunder with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Mara joins Morez Johnson (No. 9 to Dallas) and Yaxel Lendeborg (No. 11 to Golden State) as the third Michigan player selected in the lottery. The 7-foot-3 center spent the first two years of his collegiate career at UCLA, where he played a limited role before transferring to Michigan. In 40 games (39 starts) with the Wolverines in 2025-26, Mara averaged 12.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.6 blocks and 2.4 assists in 23.5 minutes per contest. He earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors and was named to the All-Big Ten Third Team en route to winning a national championship. It should be an eventful offseason in Oklahoma City as the club navigates its salary-cap situation, particularly in the frontcourt with a pending club option on Isaiah Hartenstein. Mara's exact role remains to be seen, but he projects as a strong contributor in the paint, especially on the defensive end.