Iowa Basketball Star is Going to One of the Best NBA Teams

University of Iowa men's basketball star Bennett Stirtz heard his name called at the 2026 NBA Draft last night, and after a little bit of draft-day trade chaos, he, along with all of America, learned where he's going to continue his basketball career.

Stirtz was selected by the Memphis Grizzlies with the 16th overall pick. The NBA Draft is a little more challenging to follow than, say, the NFL Draft due to the fact that draft-day trades involving selected players are very common. For instance, Kobe Bryant was selected by the Charlotte Hornets only to be dealt to the Los Angeles Lakers that same evening. That's as great of a sports "what if?" as you'll find.

Bennett Stirtz is Now a Part of One of the Best Teams in the NBA:

Shortly after Stirtz was selected by the Grizzlies, he was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for the 17th pick and two second rounders. The Thunder have an arsenal of draft picks they've accumulated over the last decade, so it's no surprise they were able to broker a deal to snag another young player to fit into their fold.

Stirtz now joins a loaded Thunder roster, who made it all the way to the NBA Western Conference Finals this past season, and won the NBA Championship in 2025. The Thunder are poised to have a long runway of success, predicated on their youthful, defensive-minded core of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren. They are absolutely among the top five teams with the highest odds to win it all again next season.

Bennett Stirtz's Iowa Career was Something Special:

Stirtz's early career wouldn't have suggested that being a first round pick in the NBA Draft was in his cards. He started his career at Northwest Missouri State, where he played for two seasons before transferring to Drake in 2024. He transferred so he could follow Northwest Missouri head coach Ben McCollum. In 2025, he again transferred to Iowa when McCollum was named the head coach of the Hawkeyes.

Sticking close to McCollum proved to be a wise move. Stirtz was named the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year in 2025. In his lone season with the Hawkeyes, he netted 734 points, the fourth-most in a single season in Iowa basketball history, joining an elite club of black-and-gold players like Keegan Murray and Luka Garza.

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Obviously, however, Stirtz's college career will best be remembered for his integral contributions to a scrappy Iowa team that made it all the way to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. It was the first time since 1987.

Stirtz went from being an under-recruited prospect with zero Division I to a top 20 pick in the NBA Draft. He won 115 games during his college career, good enough for a .821 career winning percentage. And he joins a solid crop of first round draft picks from Iowa to boot.

Iowa's First Round Draft Picks Over the Years:

1952 - Chuck Darling (No. 9 Rochester)
1970 - John Johnson (No. 7 Cleveland)
1971 - Freddy Brown (No. 6 Seattle)
1973 - Kevin Kunnert (No. 12 Chicago)
1980 - Ronnie Lester (No. 10 Portland)
1989 - B.J. Armstrong (No. 18 Chicago)
1989 - Roy Marble (No. 23 Atlanta)
1993 - Acie Earl (No. 19 Boston)
1998 - Ricky Davis (No. 21 Chicago)
2022 - Keegan Murray (No. 4 Sacramento)
2023 - Kris Murray (No. 23 Portland)
2026 - Bennett Stirtz (No. 16 Memphis (traded to OKC)

Find out more about Bennett Stirtz joining the Oklahoma City Thunder on Hawkeye Sports' website.