Remains to be seen what happens when the games are the real deal, but the NBA world has already started to give Sam Presti a round of applause. It looks like the Oklahoma City Thunder have done it again. After going through a mini-first-round drought in the last couple of cycles, they've found two sure-fire contributors.
Aday Mara was one of the top NBA preseason storylines. He's completely transformed his motor and was a double-double machine throughout the exhibitions. The 7-foot-3 behemoth completely changed up OKC's halfcourt dimensions on both sides of the floor.
Meanwhile, Bennett Stirtz looks ready to help from Opening Night. His biggest problem? Taking a step back in a smaller role. But boy, that's quite the rich-person problem to have.
He absolutely torched the nets with his outside jumper. He was one of the top preseason scorers throughout the entire league.
The Thunder added both with top-16 picks in the 2026 NBA drafts. You can count on Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell as believers in their new teammates' help. Appearing on 'The Old Man and the Three' NBA podcast, both of OKC's high-end rotation players think the front office has struck gold.
Which is funny coming from them, considering Williams and Mitchell also heard the same early career buzz when they first arrived in OKC.
"Aday is a monster," Mitchell said. "Obviously, he's 7-foot-3. I didn't know he was that skilled offensively, to be honest."
Of course, Mara is the headline-grabbing addition of the two — sorry, Stirtz. No offense meant. But when you add someone who towers over 99% of the NBA, then that novelty will stick around for a minute. You can see his Thunder teammates slowly learn his skyscraper-sized catch radius. At certain points, OKC just spammed the pick-and-roll with him knowing he'd catch whatever was thrown up for an easy lob.
That's going to be a fun wrinkle to add to OKC's offense. Williams and Mitchell could rack up plenty of assists playing alongside Mara. In just four months, he went from a puzzling selection with concerns over his stamina and shot to a fun weapon that has caused the Thunder fanbase to go into a fever pitch of excitement.
"I hate calling it flashes because it makes it seem like he can't do it. But in the small timeframe that we've seen it, he has stuff that he can go to in the post," Williams said. "That was a little more shocking. He's a better passer than I thought he was, too."
The Thunder have built up one NBA championship — and possibly more — with good-old-fashioned homegrown talent. Chet Holmgren is the sole player on OKC's roster who was a top-five pick. The rest are made up of guys who have blown past their usual trajectory, considering where they went in the NBA draft.
There's a reason why Presti is allotted as one of the best NBA GMs of all time. Almost two decades in the job, his eye for talent remains sharp. Sometimes, you have to make your own luck. The Thunder are clearly believers in that philosophy with their evergreen high draft hit rate.
"It’s Sam, bro," Williams said. "I don’t know what’s going on up there, but I leave it alone."
Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell are big fans of Mara and Stirtz
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) October 15, 2026
Mitchell: “Aday is a monster. I didn’t know he was that skilled offensively.”
Williams on OKC’s draft success: “It’s Sam, bro. I don’t know what’s going on there, but I leave it alone.” pic.twitter.com/FRkWorvgXs
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Jalen Williams, Ajay Mitchell believe OKC Thunder added 2 ready-now NBA rookies
