Michigan's Aday Mara declares for 2026 NBA Draft but keeps eligibility

A major piece of Michigan basketball's 2025-26 national championship squad appears to be on the way out.

Center Aday Mara, one of the most unique and gifted big men in college basketball this past season, has decided to enter the name 2026 NBA Draft but keep his college eligibility, a person with knowledge of the situation told the Free Press on condition of anonymity because they weren't permitted to speak publicly.

The 7-foot 3, 255-pound big man out of Zaragoza, Spain just finished his third collegiate season and still has a year of eligibility remaining, but it seems as though he likely won't use it.

Fellow Michigan big man Morez Johnson Jr. also declared for the NBA Draft on Friday, April 24.

The Wolverines landed a commitment from former Tennessee big man J.P. Estrella just days after winning the national title and on Friday, April 24, got a commitment from highly-touted former Cincinnati big man Moustapha Thiam.

Mara flourished in his lone season in Ann Arbor, a focal point of Michigan's best team in program history as he was named third-team All-Big Ten and the league's Defensive Player of the Year. Mara averaged 12.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game − his 104 swats marked a program record for U-M − and was the anchor for the top-ranked 2-point defense in the nation.

PORTAL NEWS: Michigan basketball lands Cincinnati center Moustapha Thiam in portal

Mara was an elite finisher this past year, too, making 81% of shots at the rim which only fell to 72% on non-dunks.

"In a class that is light on obvious high-upside talent at center, Mara's unusual mix of skills, coupled with his huge frame, warrants more serious consideration from teams looking to address that position," writes ESPN's Jeremy Woo. "He's an excellent passer, skilled with the ball and shot 66.8% from the field, with the sheer size to be a deterrent defensively.