Thunder's Thin Preseason Travel Party Meets Hawks in Atlanta

Oklahoma City's depth players and rookie big Aday Mara get the spotlight, but the Hawks look like the better bet at home.

OKC @ ATL Oct 12, 2026 at 11:00 PM UTC

Preseason games rarely say much about a season, and Monday night in Atlanta may say even less than most. Reports indicate that most or all of Oklahoma City's returning rotation players are staying home as the Thunder travel for the front end of another preseason back-to-back. That means back-to-back MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams, who is back from injury and is described as an All-NBA talent who scores and guards 1 through 5, are the stars to watch for in the regular season, not necessarily here.

What Oklahoma City will offer instead is a look at its depth and development. The headliner is rookie center Aday Mara. The 7-foot-3 big man put up 22 points on 10-of-10 shooting, with six rebounds and two assists, in a big preseason outing, and he is expected to matter in the Thunder's plans. The back-to-back adds a wrinkle, since it tests conditioning, Mara's included, and shapes who gets minutes. Guards such as Ajay Mitchell and Jared McCain are part of the bench group that could carry the load if the roster is as thin as expected, though how many of them actually travel is unclear.

The challenge for Oklahoma City is cohesion. A lineup built from reserves and two-way players, all fighting for opportunity, can produce bursts of energy, and Mara gives the Thunder a real interior anchor. But those lineups usually lose their rhythm over a full game, especially on the second half of a back-to-back stretch and against a home team that has had no travel to manage.

Expect Mara to have another productive night and the Thunder to hang around for three quarters. Atlanta's home setting and the Thunder's shorthanded group should be enough for a narrow edge late.

Prediction: Hawks 112, Thunder 106.

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