The Brooklyn Nets have less than one month to go before they have to decide who they will be taking in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft on Jun. 23. Brooklyn has been linked to various players over the course of the pre-draft process given that the team could go in a number of directions, but it seems like one high-rising player could be a possible target.
“Rival teams consider him to be in play as high as No. 6 for Brooklyn, with the Hawks, Warriors and Thunder also viewed as potential landing spots in the lottery,” ESPN’s Jeremy Woo wrote on Michigan center Aday Mara. Mara has previously been connected to the Nets and now, it seems that other teams believe that Brooklyn could be considering Mara with the pick.
“Landing with a team that wants to lean into his playmaking skills will give him the best chance to maximize his impact,” Woo continued before noting why Mara’s stock has risen. “Mara’s massive combine measurements helped to validate his unique profile, with no shortage of lottery interest coming out of Chicago. He will be among the tallest players in the NBA from the get-go, entering the league at a time when size and skill remain at a premium.”
While Mara’s stock has risen sharply since the NBA Draft Combine in May, he was already putting himself in position to potentially be a Lottery pick after what he did for the Wolverines this season. In his junior season, Mara averaged 12.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game while shooting 66.8% from the field and 56.4% from the free-throw line.
While Mara could reasonably be in play for the Nets with the No. 6 pick, they already have starter Nic Claxton under contract and will likely exercise backup center Day’Ron Sharpe’s $6.25 million team option for next season. However, if Brooklyn wants to add to the frontcourt instead of taking one of the many guards expected to be available at No. 6, Mara could be the highest-upside big for the team to take at that spot.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets considered in play for Michigan’s Aday Mara by rival teams
Reporting by Sharif Phillips-Keaton, Nets Wire / Nets Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
