​Dominating this era of the NBA, Nikola Jokic has been one of the faces of the league over this past decade. The three-time MVP winner has been one of the most decorated players ever. He led the Denver Nuggets to an NBA championship and has been in contention during the rest of his prime.As Jokic gets comfortable being placed in all-time conversations, it shouldn’t be a shocker to see the next group of big men grow up idolizing his game. As the old saying goes — imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Over the next few NBA draft cycles, expect every seven-footer to say they grew up modeling themselves after him.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAday Mara is the latest example of that trend. The Oklahoma City Thunder added him with the No. 12 pick of the 2026 NBA draft. After two forgettable years at UCLA, he broke out at Michigan this past year. Alongside Morez Johnson Jr. and Yaxel Lendeborg, the Wolverines’ three-headed frontcourt monster captured them a national championship. All three went in the lottery, too.Needing some time to get comfortable, Mara showed off his bag in OKC’s Summer League loss to the Denver Nuggets. The 21-year-old finished with 14 points, seven rebounds and six assists. It’s the best he’s looked in the July event.Mara showed off his playmaking skills. The Thunder fully leaned into him being an offensive hub. Operating at the perimeter, he darted passes to several cutting teammates for assisted layups. He even showed some flair with a between-the-legs pass to Bennett Stirtz in a give-and-go action.In an ESPN interview, Mara talked about trying to copy Jokic’s passing. It seems like we’re at a spot in the NBA where seven-footers are allowed to be more creative with the ball in their hands. No longer is it just a simplified playbook.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement”His IQ. The way he passes the ball. He makes it super easy. The looks. All the things that he does,” Mara said. “I’m just trying to learn how he thinks, what he’s looking at during the game. Those things.”Add Jokic to the all-time legends Mara has said he grew up modeling his game after. Other notable names include Pau Gasol, Marc Gasol, Hakeem Olajuwon and Arvydas Sabonis. That’s quite the list of Hall-of-Famers to binge-watch on YouTube.Of course, if Mara is even a small percentage of that group, then the Thunder hit a grand slam. Remains to be seen if the 21-year-old carves out a big-time role like that. He’s a giant blob of clay right now and won’t be asked to contribute in Year 1. That said, OKC’s roster plans of having a loaded frontcourt fall on his shoulders.”I’m super grateful for the opportunity he gave me. At the end of the day, I’m coming to one of the best — if not the best — organizations in the NBA,” Mara said. “A team that’s a contender to win the Finals. I’m very grateful for the opportunity that I have.”This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Why Aday Mara hopes to model his game after 3-time MVP Nikola Jokic