Kevin O'Connor Interviews 7 NBA Prospects, Updates Giannis Rumors and Trae Young Wizards Deal

Q: Is Spanish giant Aday Mara the true hidden gem in this year's NBA draft?

No. Aday Mara looks more like a well-known high-upside prospect than a true hidden gem. The strongest evidence is his draft range. Mara is widely projected in or near the lottery, with multiple mock drafts placing him around Nos. 9 to 15. A player expected to go that high is already firmly on teams’ radars. Kevin O’Connor’s pre-draft coverage also treated him as one of the notable names in the class, not an overlooked sleeper. What makes Mara so appealing is clear. At 7-foot-3 with a 9-foot-9 standing reach, he offers rare size, elite rim protection and unusual passing feel for a center. At Michigan, he anchored a championship defense and posted 12.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.6 blocks while shooting 66.8% from the field. Scouts see a high-floor defensive center with offensive value as a finisher and facilitator. The “gem” part of the label is fair. Mara’s combination of shot-blocking, touch around the rim and guard-like vision gives him a chance to outperform his draft slot if his development continues. His fit is especially attractive for teams needing a defensive anchor who can also keep the ball moving. But the “hidden” part no longer fits. His measurements, production and late rise have been heavily discussed, and he is now viewed by many evaluators as one of the best pure centers in the draft. He may be a steal if he slips, but he is not a secret.

Q: As a Giannis trade looms, will Boston's Jaylen Brown offer be enough to beat Miami?

Yes—based on the reporting around the draft, Boston’s Jaylen Brown-centered package appears more likely than Miami’s offer to win Milwaukee’s approval. The key reason is Milwaukee’s apparent priority if it moves Giannis Antetokounmpo: staying competitive rather than starting a full rebuild. The Bucks do not control enough of their own future first-round picks to benefit much from bottoming out, so an immediate high-level player matters. Brown fits that better than Miami’s package. He is a five-time All-Star, coming off a career-best season of roughly 28.7 points per game, finished sixth in MVP voting, and is under contract through 2028-29. A Brown-for-Giannis framework also works cleanly financially. By contrast, Miami’s reported offer—Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware, the No. 13 pick, plus possible future picks and swaps—gives Milwaukee more volume but less top-end certainty. Herro is productive, but the Heat package lacks a player viewed on Brown’s level. Multiple reports indicate the Bucks have not been enthusiastic about Miami’s proposal. The main complication for Boston is whether Milwaukee truly wants Brown long term. His contract is massive, and there have been suggestions the Bucks could eventually reroute him. Boston has also been reluctant to add too much beyond Brown. Still, if the choice is Brown as the centerpiece versus Miami’s collection of good-but-not-elite assets, Boston currently looks to have the stronger bid.

2 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Jun 22

Seven draft prospects — Darryn Peterson, Aday Mara, Keaton Wagler, Brayden Burries, Christian Anderson, Allen Graves and Dailyn Swain — joined Kevin O'Connor's show on the eve of the NBA Draft.
O'Connor also used the episode's opening segments to deliver the latest on Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors and Trae Young's new contract with the Wizards.
The prospect interviews made up most of the episode, with Peterson first at 6:38 and Swain closing at 1:09:59.
Released hours before the draft, the show packaged roster-movement buzz and player scouting into a final pre-draft update.