In just over a week, Iowa basketball star Bennett Stirtz will hear his name called at the 2026 NBA Draft in Brooklyn. On Monday, he found out that he’ll have the chance to be there in person when it happens.
Every year, the NBA invites a select number of prospects to the green room. The green room is an enclosed area right in front of the stage where players can wait with their families to hear their name called. There are usually only 15-20 players who get the prestigious invite. This year, Stirtz is one of those players.
ESPN’s Jeremy Woo tweeted out a list of the second wave of green room invitees. Stirtz was one of the six names on the list.
Stirtz is joined by fellow Big Ten stars in Hannes Steinbach (Washington), alongside Yaxel Lendeborg, and Morez Johnson Jr. (Michigan). There’s a good chance all four of those guys hear their name called around the same part of the draft.
The most common landing spots in most mock drafts for Stirtz are pick No. 18 to the Charlotte Hornets and pick No. 19 to the Toronto Raptors. The Hornets have more guard depth than Toronto, with LaMelo Ball and Kon Knueppel in line to start for the foreseeable future. The Raptors’ guard depth is much more open, with big question marks surrounding Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett.
Regardless of where Stirtz lands, it’s clear the NBA views him as a great prospect in a loaded draft class. He wouldn’t have gotten a green room invite if that wasn’t the case.
Iowa fans can see where Stirtz lands when the first round starts on June 23. The draft can be watched on either ABC or ESPN.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa basketball PG Bennett Stirtz invited to NBA Draft green room
Reporting by Zach Hiney, Hawkeyes Wire / Hawkeyes Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Zach Hiney, Hawkeyes Wire | USA TODAY Network
