For the first time in three years, the Iowa men’s basketball program has an NBA first-round pick.
After months of rumors and speculation, Bennett Stirtz found out his NBA home on Tuesday. The Memphis Grizzlies took Stirtz with the 16th-overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Memphis then traded Stirtz’s rights to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Stirtz’s journey to the NBA is a special one. He started his collegiate career at Division II Northwest Missouri State, where he spent two seasons. He then followed his head coach, Ben McCollum, to Drake for his junior year. Stirtz rounded out his time in college by transferring to Iowa for his senior year, alongside McCollum again. His one year in Iowa City was magical.
He averaged 19.8 points and 4.4 assists per game to help lead the Hawkeyes all the way to the Elite Eight. In doing so, he shot up NBA draft boards as teams fell in love with his shot-making and shot-creation ability. Stirtz shot 35.8% from behind the arc last season, a trait that Oklahoma City will be happy to add to its roster.
Stirtz joins Keegan and Kris Murray as NBA first-round picks from the Iowa program this decade. He’ll have a chance to contribute to an elite NBA contender right off the rip.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Oklahoma City Thunder acquire Bennett Stirtz in NBA Draft night trade
Reporting by Zach Hiney, Hawkeyes Wire / Hawkeyes Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Zach Hiney, Hawkeyes Wire | USA TODAY Network
