The Oklahoma City Thunder added three more pieces to their young core during the 2026 NBA Draft, selecting Aday Mara with the No. 12 pick, Bennett Stirtz with the No. 17 pick, then acquiring Otega Oweh with the No. 41 pick in a trade with the Miami Heat.
Mara is the swing that immediately stands out because of the size.
At 7-foot-3, the Michigan big man gives Oklahoma City another layer of rim protection and frontcourt depth. His size is the obvious selling point, but the intrigue is that he is not just a big body. Mara has real feel as a passer and gives the Thunder another high-IQ big who can grow inside their system.
It is also a pick that makes sense when you look at what OKC just went through against San Antonio. The Thunder have Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein, but adding another big who can help match up with teams that have real size inside is not a bad idea.
The good thing for Mara is there is no major pressure to be ready right away. Oklahoma City has one of the deepest rosters in the league, and minutes will not be easy to find. He can come in, learn, develop and earn his role over time.
At No. 17, the Thunder went with Bennett Stirtz, a 6-foot-3 guard out of Iowa.
Stirtz may not be the loudest name on the board, but he is one of the most polished. He brings shot-making, poise and real pick-and-roll feel to the backcourt. He plays with control, makes the right reads and gives OKC another guard who understands how to run an offense without forcing the game.
His journey is just as intriguing. Stirtz went from being lightly recruited out of Liberty High School in Missouri to starring at Division II Northwest Missouri State, then Drake, before averaging nearly 20 points per game in the Big Ten at Iowa. At every stop, he adapted and elevated his game.
The Thunder wrapped up the draft by adding Otega Oweh with the 41st overall pick.
Oweh took a different path than most NBA prospects. After beginning his career at Oklahoma, he transferred to Kentucky and developed into one of the SEC’s best two-way players. His game grew with each stop, earning Second Team All-SEC honors while proving he could handle a bigger offensive role without sacrificing the defensive intensity that made him a prospect in the first place.
Between Mara, Stirtz and Oweh, the Thunder added three very different players.
No. 12: Mara gives them size, rim protection and long-term upside.
No. 16: Stirtz brings polish, feel and one of the best developmental stories in the class.
No. 41: Oweh adds physicality, defensive versatility, and another competitor who has earned everything along the way.
None of the three is walking into an easy rotation. That’s simply the reality of Oklahoma City’s roster. But that’s also part of what makes this organization unique.
Now, to figure out where each one fits.
