Oklahoma City’s latest first-round investments are already making noise, and the early preseason returns have been impossible to ignore.
Aday Mara and Bennett Stirtz, two of Sam Presti’s most promising first-round picks since the Thunder drafted Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams in 2022, have both flashed the kind of skill that fits right into Mark Daigneault’s system. Mara, the 12th overall pick, opened his preseason with a statement, piling up 34 points on 15-for-15 shooting with 15 rebounds and four blocks across his first two preseason games as he battles for a rotation spot on one of the league’s deepest rosters.
Stirtz, selected 16th overall in this year’s draft, followed with a strong showing of his own in Monday’s 113-110 loss to the Atlanta Hawks. With Daigneault leaning into rookies, two-way players, and Exhibit-10 contracts in a shorthanded lineup, the Iowa product led the Thunder with 26 points, hitting six threes, and also added five assists and four rebounds. Second-year guard Nikola Topic and rookie 2025 first-rounder Thomas Sorber were both unavailable as they continue recovering from their injuries.
Daigneault said Stirtz’s comfort in high-leverage moments stands out right away.
“He's got great moxie and clearly is used to being with the ball in his hands in pressure situations, shooting big shots, having to make big plays; it's been a feature of his career to this point,” Daigneault said. “A lot of the things he's learning are new for him, but that's not new for him. So, he's clearly comfortable in those situations.”
Mara’s game keeps showing layers, too. He scored 17 points against 4-for-9 shooting, went 9-for-12 at the line, and chipped in 10 rebounds, six assists, and four blocks. He’s already making his presence felt at both ends, using post moves that resemble Marc Gasol and showing a polished passing touch from all over the floor.
For all the attention his defense drew coming into his rookie season, Mara has started to look like more than just a rim protector. And with Stirtz giving Oklahoma City a steady blend of passing and efficient perimeter shooting, the Thunder have another pair of young talents that look tailor-made for a team with championship aspirations.
Presti’s track record with elite first-round talent was last this strong when he landed Holmgren and Williams, who have since grown into All-NBA and All-Defensive Team stars and helped two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander win a championship in 2025.
In Other News...
Thunder Rookies Are Giving OKC Fans Something Real To Debate
The Thunders preseason trip to Atlanta gave Oklahoma City another reminder that the young talent is already part of the conversation, even if the results are still coming up short. In a 113-110 loss to the Hawks, the Thunder fell to 0-3 in the preseason, but the bigger takeaway for fans was how much the rookies kept showing up in the box score. Bennett Stirtz and Aday Mara were among the young players driving the offense and filling up other categories, giving the night a different feel than a routine October loss.
For a team with plenty of eyes on its developmental pipeline, performances like this can turn a preseason game into an early debate about who is ready now and who is still a little further away. Oklahoma City will get another chance to sort through those impressions in its next preseason game, a home matchup against Indiana, where the rookies should have another opportunity to make the case that they belong in the mix. [Read more 🡒]
Thunder Fans Just Got A Clearer Look At Daigneaults Roster Role
Mark Daigneaults place in the Thunders front office puzzle got a little clearer this week, and it helps explain how Oklahoma City has managed to keep so much continuity while still making aggressive roster moves. The head coach said his input matters in the conversation, but the final calls on personnel still belong to Sam Presti, which is the kind of arrangement that makes sense for a franchise trying to balance coaching perspective with a long-view roster plan.
Daigneaults comments arrive at a time when the league keeps offering reminders of how much the human side of roster building matters, from locker-room fit to players choosing stability over a fresh start. For the Thunder, the bigger takeaway is not just who gets brought in or moved out, but how the organization sorts through those decisions with a coach who is clearly part of the discussion without being the one holding the pen. [Read more 🡒]
Thunder's Unexpected Skid Is Testing Patience Even Before Opening Night
The Thunder have spent the months since their playoff run doing something they never wanted to carry into October: losing, and losing often. The skid has stretched across the end of the postseason, Summer League and preseason, with Oklahoma City dropped into an awkward run of results even as the roster has mostly been without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren.
Mark Daigneault has leaned into the teaching side of it, because the minutes have gone to younger and less experienced players who are trying to learn on the fly. The latest preseason loss fit that mold, and while the record has been ugly, the staff is treating these games less as a referendum on the Thunders ceiling and more as a chance to sort through the edges before opening night arrives. [Read more 🡒]