After the season Myles Turner just had, the Milwaukee Bucks might have found a cheap center alternative on their hand with the tenth overall pick. Because most mock drafts have Aday Mara available around that range.
Once the Bucks made the decision to move on from an injured Damian Lillard, Turner was supposed to be the final extender to keep their era of contention going. At the time, it was possibly the splashiest move of the offseason and showed Jon Horst and company still had another round left in the chamber. We know now that wasn't the case at all.
Myles Turner's replacement is available in the coming NBA Draft
Myles Turner's year with Milwaukee was marked by career-worst numbers and a near-total departure from everything that made him an attractive prospect for the Bucks. Per PBP Stats, the Bucks were a net-minus 6.03 points per 100 possessions when Turner was on the floor. That means Milwaukee was literally worse when their supposed centerpiece acquisition and primary floor-spacing, rim-protecting big man was on the floor.
Enter Aday Mara.
The 7-foot-3 Spanish center just recently completed his breakout junior season with the Michigan Wolverines, helping lead them to the 2026 NCAA National Championship. At the recently concluded NBA Draft Combine, he measured at an official 7-foot-3 barefoot with an elite 7-foot-6 wingspan and a historic 9-foot-9 standing reach, which was tied for the second-longest in NBA Combine history.
Mara's not just another towering, lumbering center ala Zach Edey. On top of being able to finish inside and completely wall off the rim, he has elite vision and passing that makes him a viable playmaking option at the high post. Some scouts also think his ability to shoot can still be improved with time and reps, although his touch as a shooter can only eventually be serviceable at best.
ESPN has Mara going at No. 10, going as far as calling him a 'less athletic Andrew Bogut' (who the Bucks also drafted), while Bleacher Report has him going at No. 12. Whether the Bucks package Giannis Antetokounmpo to land more picks or trade down with the tenth selection, Mara should in theory still be theirs for the taking if they want him. And he seems to be one of those rare pieces who can help you win now while also help you build for the future.
The Bucks should consider taking Aday Mara with the No. 10 pick
Given the contract he's saddling the Bucks with, it's obvious Myles Turner wasn't the answer to help extend this era of contention for Bucks basketball. His 11.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game in 71 games this season have done little to justify a 4-year, $108.87 million contract keeping him on the roster through 2029. It was a disastrous offseason gamble, and that's okay.
Perhaps part of it was the uncertainty that all the players were feeling, as Turner himself has said, and perhaps it was the different role he had without Tyrese Haliburton around. But regardless, everyone can see now that this phase is soon coming to an end, which makes stockpiling young pieces more important than ever. Aday Mara could be the one piece that both answers their problems at center while giving Giannis and the Bucks something to look forward to.
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