Iowa Star Bennett Stirtz Selected 16th by OKC Thunder

The Oklahoma City Thunder traded up one spot in the NBA Draft to select Iowa Hawkeyes guard Bennett Stirtz at No. 16 overall, sending the No. 17 pick and two future second-round picks to the Memphis Grizzlies to ensure they landed their target. Thunder General Manager Sam Presti made it clear the organization did not want to risk losing a player they had high on their board.

Why the Thunder Traded Up for Stirtz

Moving up in the draft has become a tradition for Oklahoma City. The Thunder have now traded up at least once in every draft class since 2019. This time, the target was a 22-year-old who took a unique path to the first round, playing four years across three different schools.

Presti explained the reasoning behind the move at the team's introductory press conference for their 2026 draft class.