On Tuesday night, former Iowa basketball point guard Bennett Stirtz heard his name called in the 2026 NBA Draft.
The Memphis Grizzlies selected Stirtz with the 16th-overall pick. Shortly afterwards, they traded his rights to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Stirtz will join a Thunder roster ready to compete for another NBA Championship next season.
The Thunder are known for developing young talent, no matter where they were drafted. That developmental program will help Stirtz early in his career as he transitions his game to the NBA level. The combination of Stirtz’s raw skillset and the environment he’s going to has a lot of people excited about the fit. That includes Bleacher Report.
Writer Zach Buckley graded every first-round pick, giving the Thunder’s Stirtz trade a B- and had the following to say about the pick:
“The Thunder were long identified as a trade-up candidate,” Buckley said. “The jump just wasn’t as high as many envisioned, as they moved up only one pick to take Bennett Stirtz, whose polish, processing and perimeter shooting could all help him wiggle into the Thunder’s rotation as soon as next season.”
“Stirtz might be the best thinker in this class… He not only knows where everyone is at all times, but he also has a good feel for where they’re going to move, so he can sense openings before they’re actually open. He has a real case for being this draft’s best shooter.”
Buckley mentioned some “underwhelming” physical traits that could hold Stirtz back. Despite that, he liked the fit with Oklahoma City quite a bit and thinks Stirtz can thrive there.
Oklahoma City fans will get their first glimpse of Stirtz in Summer League action next month. A strong performance there could earn him a role when the regular season tips off.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Bleacher Report grades Oklahoma City Thunder’s Bennett Stirtz trade
Reporting by Zach Hiney, Hawkeyes Wire / Hawkeyes Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Zach Hiney, Hawkeyes Wire | USA TODAY Network
