As excited as the Oklahoma City Thunder have been about Aday Mara, they're experiencing their first bump on the road. His former Spanish club — Basket Zaragoza — is threatening to take legal action if he suits up for Opening Night and beyond. The team claims he remains under contract with them through the 2026-27 season.
Oh wow. That's significant. At least, on paper, it is. Basket Zaragoza has been in contact with the Thunder, NBA and FIBA over the contract dispute. The Spanish club also stated it's prepared to take any necessary legal actions required to ensure he doesn't suit up for OKC.
Meanwhile, the Thunder released an official statement in response. Per NBA insider Marc Stein: "Aday last played three years of NCAA college basketball and therefore, as advised by the NBA, no clearance from the Spanish team is required for him to play in the NBA."
Mara played with Basket Zaragoza from 2021-23. He then enrolled at UCLA and played two collegiate seasons there from 2023-25. Afterward, he transferred to Michigan for the past collegiate season. That's where he broke out as the eventual No. 12 pick of the 2026 NBA draft.
I guess we'll see if anything materializes over this dispute. If I had to guess, I think the Thunder find a way to settle this with Mara's old team. Whether that's ignoring their threats or reaching out for a conclusion. The 21-year-old had a stellar preseason. He's too important to sit out over a small legal dispute like this.
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Aday Mara could see NBA debut delayed as old Spanish club threaten Thunder