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The OKC Thunder is trading up to select Iowa's Bennett Stirtz with the No. 16 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
OKC is sending its No. 17 pick and two second-round picks to the Memphis Grizzlies. They’ll then send the No. 17 pick to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for the No. 21 pick and three second-round picks. ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported the series of deals.
Stirtz is a 6-foot-3 guard who averaged 19.8 points, 4.4 assists and 2.6 rebounds as a senior this past season on 47.7% shooting from the field (35.8% from deep). He can instantly provide 3-point shooting, an area of inconsistency for OKC.
Stirtz is also a steady ball handler and someone who can be trusted to stay on the floor. He led the nation in minutes per game last season (39.4). Those traits are valuable to a Thunder team that dealt with plenty of injuries last season, especially in the backcourt.
It has been a busy night for OKC, which first selected Michigan’s Aday Mara with the No. 12 pick. It entered Tuesday with 14 players under contract including its three team options on Isaiah Hartenstein, Lu Dort and Kenrich Williams.
This article will be updated.
LIVE UPDATES: NBA Draft 2026 live tracker: OKC Thunder selects Michigan's Aday Mara with No. 12 pick
Justin Martinez covers the Thunder and NBA for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Justin? He can be reached at [email protected] or on X/Twitter at @Justintohoops. Sign up for the Thunder Sports Minute newsletter to access more NBA coverage. Support Justin's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC Thunder lands Bennett Stirtz in NBA Draft trade with Grizzlies
Continue reading...
OKC is sending its No. 17 pick and two second-round picks to the Memphis Grizzlies. They’ll then send the No. 17 pick to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for the No. 21 pick and three second-round picks. ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported the series of deals.
Stirtz is a 6-foot-3 guard who averaged 19.8 points, 4.4 assists and 2.6 rebounds as a senior this past season on 47.7% shooting from the field (35.8% from deep). He can instantly provide 3-point shooting, an area of inconsistency for OKC.
Stirtz is also a steady ball handler and someone who can be trusted to stay on the floor. He led the nation in minutes per game last season (39.4). Those traits are valuable to a Thunder team that dealt with plenty of injuries last season, especially in the backcourt.
It has been a busy night for OKC, which first selected Michigan’s Aday Mara with the No. 12 pick. It entered Tuesday with 14 players under contract including its three team options on Isaiah Hartenstein, Lu Dort and Kenrich Williams.
This article will be updated.
LIVE UPDATES: NBA Draft 2026 live tracker: OKC Thunder selects Michigan's Aday Mara with No. 12 pick
Justin Martinez covers the Thunder and NBA for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Justin? He can be reached at [email protected] or on X/Twitter at @Justintohoops. Sign up for the Thunder Sports Minute newsletter to access more NBA coverage. Support Justin's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC Thunder lands Bennett Stirtz in NBA Draft trade with Grizzlies
Continue reading...
