Aday Mara didn’t need a box score to appreciate what his two former Michigan teammates just did in Las Vegas.
After the Golden State Warriors beat the Dallas Mavericks 101-90 in Summer League action, Mara took to social media to react to the performances of Morez Johnson Jr. and Yaxel Lendeborg. The two Michigan standouts were the headliners in the game, and both backed up the hype in a big way.
Johnson Jr., whom the Mavericks selected with the No. 9 pick, led the way with 27 points on 12-of-17 shooting. He also added eight rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks. He was the first Michigan player off the board in the 2026 NBA draft.
Lendeborg followed right behind him, going No. 11 and continuing to quiet the doubters. He finished with 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting, 10 rebounds and six assists.
Mara, taken by the Oklahoma City Thunder with the No. 12 pick, has already logged a couple of Summer League games in Utah, but his own stat lines haven’t matched the kind of splash Johnson Jr. and Lendeborg made in their matchup. Even so, the point here wasn’t the numbers on the page.
The bigger picture is what Michigan just sent into the league. The Wolverines were the class of college basketball this past season, and their three-man frontcourt core all landed in the top 12 of the 2026 NBA draft. Now Johnson Jr., Lendeborg and Mara are each trying to turn that college dominance into strong NBA starts.
In Other News...
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The Thunders deadline move for Jared McCain ended up carrying more ripple effect than a typical guard swap. By taking McCain off Philadelphias books ahead of the 2026 NBA Trade Deadline, Oklahoma City helped clear some of the financial clutter that had been hanging over the 76ers as they weighed a major swing for Jaylen Brown.
For Philadelphia, the appeal was not just about adding a star, but about making the math work without running into a messier future cap picture. Oklahoma City obviously was not shopping McCain with Brown in mind, but the deal helped create the kind of flexibility that can decide whether a blockbuster gets done, and that is the sort of behind-the-scenes impact the Thunder have been making more often than not. [Read more 🡒]
Another Former Thunder Prospect Is Finally Getting The Chance OKC Couldn't
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Youngblood, though, has found a different opening with Portland. After being waived in February, he signed a two-way deal with the Trail Blazers and is expected to get meaningful minutes on their Summer League roster, a chance to show the kind of perimeter scoring that stood out in the G-League with the Rip City Remix, where he averaged 22 points while shooting 44.8% from three over seven games. For a player whose path never really opened in Oklahoma City, this is the sort of stage that can at least start to change the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs May Have Found An Edge Thunder Fans Wont Like
Victor Wembanyamas next contract is already shaping up to be one of the leagues most closely watched decisions, and not just because of the money attached to it. According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the Spurs are operating with the kind of long-term flexibility that contenders dream about, with the idea being that a little room now could help them keep the right pieces around their franchise center for years to come.
For Oklahoma City, that is the part worth monitoring. The Thunder have built their rise around a young core and a deep roster, but the economics get tighter fast once multiple max-level deals start stacking up, and the league has a way of punishing even the best front offices when the bill comes due. If San Antonio can preserve its edge by thinking ahead on the cap, it only sharpens the challenge for a Thunder team that may have to navigate the same balancing act sooner than it would like. [Read more 🡒]