Bennett Stirtz is stepping into Oklahoma City with a very different job description than the one he had in college.
The Thunder made him the second of their three rookies in this year’s NBA Draft, taking him at No. 16 after the Grizzlies selected him first and then traded him to OKC. And while Stirtz made his name at Iowa as the engine of the offense, that version of his game is about to get put on the shelf.
At Iowa, he was the guy everything ran through. He averaged 19.8 points per game on 47.7% shooting, handled the ball constantly, created his own looks and tried to create for everybody else too.
That’s not the assignment anymore. In Oklahoma City, he’s joining a roster full of talent, and that means learning how to thrive without living on the ball.
Stirtz sounded more than willing to make that shift when he spoke during media day on Monday.
“Super excited,” Stirtz said. “Never got the ability to let others make the game easier for me.
So I’m excited to do that. Excited to catch-and-shoot.
So it’s going to be something different, and I’m going to have to get used to it, but I’m willing to do it, and just excited to do it as well.”
That new role could put him in line to absorb minutes that were once there for Isaiah Joe, who was traded to the Detroit Pistons. For a rookie, that’s a real responsibility, especially on a team where every possession matters and every shot has to be earned.
Stirtz says he’s already been working on the adjustment. The focus, he explained, is on repetition, confidence and making sure he’s ready when the ball comes his way.
“I think it just comes to getting reps and talking to either teammates like K-Rich, Caruso, telling them whenever I have an open shot, just shoot it and be confident in that mindset,” Stirtz said. “And then, also, just comes with the reps and letting that thing fly.”
That’s the challenge now: no hesitation, no overthinking, no waiting around for a rhythm to arrive. Stirtz will have to earn his minutes and prove he can handle the speed of a new role. If he can fully buy in, the Thunder may have found a rookie who can fit right into what they need.
In Other News...
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Is Giving Thunder Fans A Dangerous New Thought
Early in training camp, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander already has Thunder fans looking twice at the little things, the kind that can make a star feel even more dangerous. A video making the rounds showed him in sprint drills alongside Jared McCain, and the broader takeaway was hard to miss: Gilgeous-Alexander is spending the offseason sharpening the parts of his game that make Oklahoma Citys offense hum.
The timing matters because Gilgeous-Alexander and McCain have put in real work together all summer, building chemistry while pushing each other in the process. McCain said the two spent a lot of time training together, including workouts in Canada, and that kind of shared grind is the sort of detail Thunder fans will file away as they wait to see how much quicker and sharper their centerpiece looks when the games count. [Read more 🡒]
Thunder Camp Is Already Forcing A Big Post-Dort Lineup Call
The Thunder are only three days into training camp, but the shape of their new-look roster is already coming into focus after a significant offseason shake-up. Media Day for the 2026-27 season underscored how much has changed, with Oklahoma City moving on from longtime starter Luguentz Dort and bringing in three rookies from the 2026 NBA Draft as it continues to sort through a fresh set of lineup questions.
One of the biggest is who fills Dorts spot in the starting group, and the early signs point toward Cason Wallace being a central part of that conversation. Head coach Mark Daigneault has made it clear he trusts Wallace, and executive Sam Presti has also signaled confidence in him since the trade, giving the Thunder a clear direction even as camp work continues to determine how the pieces fit together. [Read more 🡒]
Nikola Topic Puts Thunder On The Clock With One Big Role Question
Nikola Topics path to his first full NBA season with the Thunder has already taken more twists than anyone would have expected when he arrived with so much promise. After missing his rookie year because of a torn ACL and then navigating a testicular cancer diagnosis, the young guard still managed to show real progress with Oklahoma City Blue last season, giving the organization a reminder of why it views him as such an important long-term piece.
The challenge now is less about whether Topic can help and more about how quickly the Thunder can fit him into that bigger plan. Oklahoma City sees him as a potential primary ball-handler who can add depth and playmaking alongside the clubs other young talent, but his delayed start to training camp complicates the timeline. The team still has a season to get through before Topic is expected to be part of the Thunders full rotation in 2026-27, and the next few months will go a long way toward showing how ready he is for that role. [Read more 🡒]