Bennett Stirtz’s summer has already packed in two milestones most players spend years chasing.
In June, he officially made the leap to the NBA when the Oklahoma City Thunder took him with the No. 16 pick of the 2026 NBA draft. Then in August, he married his girlfriend, Taygen Stirtz.
Taygen Stirtz shared the wedding news on Instagram.
Now Stirtz gets a little more time to enjoy the offseason before the real work begins. The Thunder are expected to open 2026-27 training camp in late September, and OKC will release its regular-season schedule next week.
For Oklahoma City, Stirtz arrives at a time when opportunity is staring right back at him. The team spent the offseason trimming costs, and with Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins all gone, there are minutes and touches available for the taking.
Stirtz gave a glimpse of what he can offer at NBA Summer League last month. His outside shooting and ball-handling stood out, and he looks like a strong candidate to be part of OKC’s rotation early. Among the Thunder’s recent draft picks from the last two years, he’s widely viewed as the one most likely to make an immediate impact.
The path here wasn’t a straight line. Stirtz began his college career at the Division II level at Northwest Missouri State, where he spent two seasons before transferring to Drake for his junior year. He then moved on to Iowa for his senior season, and that’s where he turned himself into a draft prospect and pushed his way into lottery territory.
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