Iowa Guard Has Potential To Be 2026 Draft Target for OKC Thunder

The OKC Thunder are no strangers to taking talented playmaking creators in the first round of the NBA Draft. In fact, having an abundance of playmakers has been the standard throughout this edition of General Manager Sam Presti's Thunder.

Since 2020, the Thunder have drafted players like Aleksej Pokusevski, Josh Giddey, Tre Mann, Jalen Williams, Ousmane Dieng, Cason Wallace and Nikola Topic in the first round. All players are guards who had scouts rave about their playmaking ability throughout the pre-draft process.

This process resulted in the creation of the core of the 2024-25 NBA Champions. The Thunder, through Head Coach Mark Daigneault's system, utilized having multiple strong ball handlers on the floor at all times, ensuring that the ball will zip across the court at ease.

The next name on that long list of creators could be University of Iowa senior guard Bennett Stirtz, a transfer from Drake University. Stirtz followed his head coach at Drake, Ben McCollum, to Iowa through the transfer portal when he became the new Hawkeye head coach.

Stirtz is a naturally gifted point guard who is both an efficient playmaker and scorer. His only downside would be age, as he is turning 22 years old in October.

The crafty guard averaged 19.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 2.1 steals per game last season. He led the Missouri Valley Conference in both points and steals per game, as well as assist/turnover ratio, with 2.86.

Stirtz shot 49.8% from the field on 13.4 attempts per game and 39.5% from three-point range on 4.6 attempts a night last season. He had a 60.8% true shooting percentage as well, making his name clear as one of the most efficient scorers in the nation.

The Liberty, Missouri native decorated his trophy case last season, winning the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year, in both the regular season and tournament play, MVC Newcomer of the Year, and landing on the All-MVC team in both as well. It was a phenomenal first year at the Division I level for Stirtz.

Stirtz spent his first two seasons of collegiate basketball at Division 2 Northwest Missouri State University, also under the guidance of McCollum. He had 11 20-point performances in his sophomore year with the Bearcats and followed his head coach to Drake after McCollum took the open head coaching job after the departure of Darian DeVries.

Stirtz would be a phenomenal match in OKC, bringing three traits the organization loves in shooting, playmaking and defense. His draft stock is to be determined with a full season in the Big Ten Conference to play, but the Thunder have chances to pick at every level in the first round.

OKC has the Philadelphia 76ers' pick, protected in the top-four, and the Utah Jazz's pick, protected in the top-eight, as well as its own.

Stirtz has a great opportunity to become the next playmaker drafted to Oklahoma City.