Spanish club Zaragoza moves to block Thunder rookie Aday Mara from playing

Spanish club Basket Zaragoza is trying to block Oklahoma City Thunder rookie Aday Mara from playing, issuing a formal statement contending that the 21-year-old’s contract with the club runs through 2027 and that it has not received a request for his international transfer, according to reporter Donatas Urbonas.

Zaragoza argues that Mara’s move to UCLA in 2023 did not terminate his contract in Spain, since FIBA does not require an international transfer for players who enroll at U.S. colleges.

The Thunder downplayed the dispute in a statement to media members: “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, a 7-foot-3 center drafted 12th overall in June, signed his rookie scale contract with Oklahoma City in July. When a player requires a FIBA letter of clearance, it is typically secured before he officially signs with his new team. Mara averaged 13.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.4 blocks in 23.3 minutes per game over five preseason outings, shooting 78.7 percent from the floor, and could make his regular season debut when the season opens on Tuesday.