Victor Wembanyama has taken the league by storm and has the San Antonio Spurs on the precipice of their first NBA Finals appearances in more than a decade. As the league shifts around Wemby, the Miami Heat could have the perfect opportunity to find their counter to the generational big man with the No. 13 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Aday Mara.
Even with Kel'el Ware already on the roster, the Heat could look to lean even bigger with Mara quickly rising up the draft boards in recent weeks. Partly due to the emergence of Wemby, Mara could emerge as somewhat of an intriguing counter to the superstar big man.
Aday Mara is quickly rising up NBA Draft boards
It would be dishonest to say that Mara is going to be the next Wemby. Their games don't exactly mirror each other; they're very different players. But Mara does translate as a defensive anchor and has one thing that can't be taught: size.
Standing at 7-foot-3 with a 7-foot7 wingspan, Mara could emerge as an intriguing counter against Wemby. He surely wouldn't have the same usage rate as one of the best young bigs in the league, but he could, at the very least, match some of Wemby's monster measurables in the paint.
After all, there are many 7-foot-plus bodies in the league that could give Wemby those types of issues. Mara could be one of them.
In the right system, and if he can continue to build off the momentum he's built recently, Mara could be viewed as somewhat of a new pivot for many NBA teams, including the Heat.
Add in the fact that Miami will be looking for a backup center behind Ware this offseason, and the possibility of taking a chance on Mara with the 13th pick doesn't look that outlandish of an idea after all.
Heat could look to go huge in the frontcourt
Mara isn't necessarily one of the most polished of big men prospects in this draft class, but he has great size, knows what he can and can't do on the offensive end of the floor, and will change the way defenses can attack.
Mara, even if he is just a big body that can defend the rim, will change the game. The big question is whether he can develop into a consistent starter, or more, at the next level. Throw Mara into one of the best developmental systems in the league, and the Heat would probably win that bet.
If Miami wants to make a big splash in response to the breakout run that Wemby is on, Mara could be an interesting pivot for the Heat. And I'd have to think more teams are going to think about that possibility too as we inch closer to the NBA Draft.
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