The Oklahoma City Thunder are done running Aday Mara and Bennett Stirtz in Summer League.
A team spokesperson said both players will sit out the club’s final two games, closing the book on a five-game stretch that included action in Salt Lake City and Las Vegas. For the Thunder’s two most prized young additions, the last impression was a strong one.
That came in Oklahoma City’s 106-103 loss to the Denver Nuggets, where both prospects delivered their best individual showings of the July run. Mara finished with 14 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Stirtz was even bigger offensively, pouring in 22 points and adding six assists.
The Thunder used the No. 12 pick in the 2026 NBA draft on Mara, then grabbed Stirtz at No. 16 after moving up in a trade. As the roster continues to take shape around its supporting pieces, both players are viewed as long-term role pieces for the future.
This kind of shutdown is standard fare in the back half of Summer League, when teams often pull their top names and let two-way players and G League hopefuls fight for NBA opportunities instead.
Oklahoma City has two games left on its Summer League schedule, starting with the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, July 16. Its final opponent has not been set yet, though that game is expected to land on Saturday. With an 0-3 record, the Thunder are already out of the running for the Summer League four-team playoffs.
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The bigger point for Thunder fans is that the ranking still treats the trio like an elite standard-bearer, even after injuries complicated the follow-up to that title run. Oklahoma Citys recent deep playoff pushes have been shaped as much by health as by talent, and the numbers cited in the piece suggest the ceiling remains as high as ever once the group gets back to full strength. [Read more 🡒]