After winning the national championship with Michigan this season, former UCLA center Aday Mara is beginning his professional career in the NBA.

Mara will be joining another championship organization after the Oklahoma City Thunder drafted him with the No. 12 overall pick in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft on Tuesday. Going into the draft, ESPN had Mara ranked as the No. 1 center prospect.

Mara was one of three Michigan players drafted in the first round. In addition to Mara, forward Morez Johnson Jr. was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks with the No. 9 pick, and forward Yaxel Lendeborg was drafted by the Golden State Warriors with the No. 11 pick.

Former Wolverines head coach Dusty May also left Michigan after the national championship run to take over as head coach of the Mavericks.

Mara’s Career At UCLA

Mara played one season at Michigan after playing the first two seasons of his collegiate career at UCLA.

The Zaragoza, Spain native averaged 6.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists as a sophomore during the 2024-25 season. Mara only started in nine of the 61 games he played with the Bruins across two seasons.

Mara transferred to Michigan as a junior ahead of the 2025-26 season. In Ann Arbor, Mara transformed into the first-round NBA pick he is today. At UCLA, he averaged 13 minutes per game his sophomore season but at Michigan, he averaged a career-best 23.4 minutes.

The 7-foot-3 center also averaged a career-high 12.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.6 blocks while starting in 39 of 40 games for the Wolverines.

Now, Mara will join the Thunder two seasons after Oklahoma City won the NBA championship.

Photo Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

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The Brooklyn Nets selected UCLA forward Tyler Bilodeau with the No. 43 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, making him the only Bruin drafted this year.

NBA insider Michael Scotto reports Bilodeau will sign a two-way contract with the Nets.

Bilodeau played four years of college basketball, the final two of which came with UCLA. He averaged 17.6 points per game in his senior season, also recording 5.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game. Over the course of his college career, Bilodeau averaged 13.1 points per game and brought in just under 5.0 rebounds per night.

The Billings, Montana native took a huge step forward in the final season of his collegiate career, posting a career-high 46.4% 3-point percentage with 4.5 attempts per night. Bilodeau knows about this strength, and sees it as an asset NBA teams can use to their advantage.

“Floor spacing, kind of like my shooting ability, I think that’s definitely my strong suit and what teams like,” Bilodeau said.

The 6-foot-9 forward suffered a knee sprain against the Michigan State Spartans in the Big Ten tournament quarter finals, and missed the NCAA tournament—a huge blow to the Bruins in their second-round exit.

Bilodeau was the final pick of the Nets’ three selections, with Mikel Brown Jr. going to Brooklyn at No. 6 overall and Joshua Jefferson landing at No. 28.

Will Tyler Bilodeau Get a Shot with the Nets?

Bilodeau’s move to the Nets comes at an inopportune time, as the Brooklyn team just traded for All-Star forward Julius Randle to pair with Michael Porter Jr. as their forwards. Additionally, the Nets are in an extended period of rebuilding and have plenty of youth in their ranks.

That’s not to say Bilodeau won’t get a shot, though, as his shooting capabilities make him a player any team would turn their eyes towards.

“Bilodeau’s size and shooting provided specialist appeal, and he lands with a Nets team that will value his perimeter capability,” wrote ESPN’s draft analyst Jeremy Woo.

If the 22-year-old can get off to a strong start with the Nets, whether that comes in the G League or NBA, he could become a much larger part of a young, exciting team in Brooklyn.

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