The Iowa star guard was drafted 16th overall by the 2025 NBA champions who boast a heavy guard rotation. He'll have to earn his way into the rotation.
If you’re Bennett Stirtz, there isn’t another organization you could’ve gone to to develop your game better than the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The 2025 NBA champions selected the Iowa star guard with the 16th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft on Tuesday. The Thunder, who originally owned the 17th pick behind the Memphis Grizzlies, traded up one spot in addition to sending two second-round picks to Memphis for the draft rights to Stirtz.
He became the first player to be drafted to the NBA under Ben McCollum at any level, as well as the fifth active Iowa product in the league alongside Luka Garza (Boston Celtics), Keegan Murray (Sacramento Kings), Kris Murray (Portland Trail Blazers), and Payton Sandfort, who Stirtz will join on the Thunder.
Oklahoma City is notorious for its ability to find hidden gems in the draft and its oil well development program. Already one of the best developmental stories in the 2026 NBA Draft - averaging 12 points his freshman year at Division II Northwest Missouri State to nearly 20 points per game on 47 percent shooting as a senior at Iowa - Stirtz is in the right place to become a legitimate NBA player.
However, Oklahoma City is loaded with guard talent, starting with reigning back-to-back NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. What should fans expect from the 22-year-old? Here’s an in-depth look at what his situation could be like in year one.
Will Stirtz play for the Thunder in 2026-27?
Along with SGA, the Thunder will retain All-Star guard Jalen Williams, Ajay Mitchell, Jared McCain, Cason Wallace, Alex Caruso, and Isaiah Joe at the guard position. All-Defensive guard Lu Dort will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Not to mention Nikola Topic, the 6-foot-6 guard and the 12th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft who battled testicular cancer in between his rookie and sophomore seasons. Now a year fully recovered, head coach Mark Daigneault will certainly look to insert him as a secondary ball handler behind SGA.
With that being said, Stirtz will have to earn his way into being a consistent rotation player. That process might start in the G League. Getting the opportunity to see meaningful minutes right away against professional players will be valuable to his development, regardless of what level it's at.
Garza, the 52nd pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, spent his first four seasons between the NBA and the G League before earning the backup center role with the Celtics last season. And Sandfort, who went undrafted in 2025, displayed his 3-and-D skillset for the Thunder's G League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue, and impressed enough to earn a roster spot towards the end of last season.
Stirtz's situation is much different than those two. But it proves that starting in the G League isn't the end-all, be-all.
How will Stirtz fit in with OKC's system?
The main areas of concern with Stirtz are defense and physicality. At 6-foot-4, 186-pounds, he possesses great positional size and a skinny frame. He proved at Iowa he can play through contact on top of his ability to create space with a tight handle and find driving lanes through small gaps. The NBA, however, is a different animal, so it might take him some time to adjust comfortably.
As for defense, Stirtz should only need to be an average defender at least to eventually slide his way into the rotation. A large part of that is due to Oklahoma City's preexisting defensive prowess, which will get a boost after selecting Michigan's 7-foot-3 center Aday Mara with the 12th pick.
Stirtz is someone who was forced to be extremely ball dominant on a Hawkeye squad with limited number of shot creators. His game, however, mirrors the makeup of a combo guard - the dual threat ability of being a spot-up shooter and create for himself and others through the pick-and-roll.
His poise and high IQ are traits Thunder general manager Sam Presti has a knack for finding among his draftees. Stirtz certainly has that, along with the kind of team-first mentality needed to play alongside SGA and Williams, let alone find his place on a team that'll be in the championship hunt for years to come.
These days, getting drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder seems like the ultimate compliment of the type of potential a player has. In a league predicated around skillsets and versatility, Stirtz can very well carve out his place in the league, whether that be with the Thunder or elsewhere.
