Thunder rookie Aday Mara debuts in win over Spurs as Spanish club disputes his contract

What Zaragoza and the Thunder say

Spanish club Basket Zaragoza said on Friday, Oct. 16, that center Aday Mara has a contract in force with it for the 2026-27 season, BasketNews reported. The club argued his 2023 move to U.S. college basketball did not end that deal, said it had not received a transfer request, and said it would formally oppose one and was prepared to take "all necessary legal action." ^[3]

Zaragoza said after the June draft that it had relayed its position to the Spanish Basketball Federation, FIBA, the NBA and the Thunder, Newsweek reported, citing BasketNews. CBS Sports, citing Heraldo de Aragon, reported that the club is seeking a financial settlement and says Mara needs a formal Letter of Clearance for the regular season. That Heraldo claim is secondhand and Zaragoza's own statement as quoted by BasketNews did not mention a settlement. ^{[1] [3] [4]}

A Thunder spokesperson said Mara played three years of NCAA basketball and that, as the NBA advised, "no clearance from the Spanish team is required" for him to play in the NBA, Bleacher Report reported. ^[2]

Status after opening night

Oklahoma City beat San Antonio 116-104 in the season opener on Tuesday, Oct. 20, Yahoo Sports reported. Mara came off the bench early and played 5:36 in the first quarter, according to CBS Sports' live coverage, so the dispute did not keep him off the floor. ^{[6] [5]}

ClutchPoints reported that midway through the third quarter Mara blocked Victor Wembanyama at the rim and finished an alley-oop dunk at the other end, with the Thunder leading 82-70. Neither report mentioned the contract dispute. ^{[7] [5]}

CBS Sports' Oct. 16 report did not say whether the NBA had confirmed Mara's eligibility for the opener, and none of the sources reviewed reports a ruling from the Spanish federation, FIBA or a court. Whether the dispute affects the rest of his season remains unresolved. ^[4]

Background

Mara, a 7-foot-3 center from Zaragoza, spent 2021 to 2023 with Basket Zaragoza, then two seasons at UCLA and one at Michigan, where he averaged 12.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.6 blocks last season and won the national title, Bleacher Report said. Oklahoma City drafted him 12th overall on June 23. In the preseason he averaged 13.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.4 blocks, Bleacher Report reported. ^[2]