With Aday Mara and Bennett Stirtz, the Thunder crushed the NBA Draft again

There are certian front offices that just have a knack for evaluating talent. The Memphis Grizzlies seem to always knock their draft picks out of the park. The Miami Heat know how to evaluate players outside of the lottery better than almost anyone else.

But one team that may have the edge over anyone is the Oklahoma City Thunder. In 2022, they didn't let concerns about his physicality get in the way of selecting defensive superstar Chet Holmgren with the second overall pick. And 10 picks later, they identified Jalen Williams as a future two-way stud. Since then, he's earned an All-NBA selection and tallied a 40-point game in the NBA Finals. Outside of those two cornerstones, Cason Wallace, Jaylin Williams, and the recently-traded Luguentz Dort are all homegrown talents the Thunder pinpointed.

In this past summer, the Thunder selected two players in the first round, and based on the early returns, it looks like they knocked yet another draft out of the park.

Bennett Stirtz and Aday Mara are looking like great picks

The Thunder started out the 2026 NBA Draft by selecting Aday Mara with the 12th overall pick -- a national champion at the University of Michigan, whom the team hopes will eventually take the torch from Isaiah Hartenstein when he ages out or becomes too expensive for the team to retain.

Then, four picks later, the Thunder traded up to get the 16th overall pick and drafted Bennett Stirtz. Stirtz spent his collegiate career being one of the best pick-and-roll ball handlers in the nation. His ability to suppress turnovers and handle the ball fits in perfectly with the Thunder's drive-heavy approach. Stirtz also symbolizes another low-cost depth piece to help replenish the team's bench after trading away Dort, Isaiah Joe, and Aaron Wiggins.

On Tuesday, the rookie tandem made their unofficial NBA debut against the New Orleans Pelicans, and it was hard not to get excited. Both of them started, and in just over 18 minutes, Mara posted a near double-double (12 points and nine rebounds) on perfect shooting from the floor (5-for-5). He also had three assists and three blocks, showcasing his ability to playmake and protect the rim.

As for Stirtz, he played nearly 31 minutes and had game-highs in both points (15) and assists (6). He did have four turnovers, but that was probably a byproduct of being the main ball handler for most of the game.

The following night against the Milwaukee Bucks, Mara scored a game-high 22 points on perfect shooting (10-for-10), again! Stirtz didn't get to start, but he still scored 20 points in less than 22 minutes of action.

Given that Hartenstein is still around and Holmgren and Williams will also eat minutes at the five, it is doubtful that Mara gets much meaningful tick this season. The same is true for Stirtz, although I could see a world where an injury vaults him into the back of the rotation.

However, these two weren't drafted for what they will bring to the table in 2026-27. They were brought to Oklahoma City to be a part of the future, and so far, that looks pretty darn bright.

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