AP PHOTO - Bennett Stirtz arrives for the first round of the NBA Draft on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, in New York.

TIMES-REPUBLICAN

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Iowa’s Bennett Stirtz was drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies, but he was quickly traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Grizzlies selected Stirtz with the 16th pick of the 2026 NBA Draft on Tuesday night, but the 2025 NBA champion Thunder acquired him in a trade, according to multiple reports.

Stirtz is Iowa’s first draft selection since 2023, when Kris Murray went to the Portland Trailblazers with the 23rd overall pick. His twin brother Keegan Murray was the fourth overall selection by the Sacramento Kings in 2022.

Before leading the Iowa Hawkeyes to their first appearance in the Elite Eight since 1987, Stirtz was a standout for his first two seasons at Northwest Missouri State. He followed his head coach Ben McCollum to Drake, where he became the Missouri Valley Conference’s Player of the Year, and then transfered to remain alongside McCollum at the University of Iowa. Stirtz was a first-team all-Big Ten Conference selection in his final season.

The Liberty, Mo., native scored more than 2,300 points in his collegiate career before becoming the 59th Hawkeye ever selected in the NBA Draft. Stirtz is only the third point guard out of Iowa to be drafted in the first round, joining legends Ronnie Lester and B.J. Armstrong.

In his only season as a Hawkeye, Stirtz averaged 19.8 points, 4.4 assists and 2.6 rebounds per game. He scored at least 32 points on three occasions, including a career-high 36 against Northwestern.

Stirtz ranks fourth on the single-season scoring list in Iowa program history (734), eighth in field goals made (251) and is tied for fifth in 3-point field goals made (92). He shot 47.7 percent from the field, 35.8 percent from 3-point range and 84.8 percent from the free-throw line.

He helped lead the Hawkeyes to their first NCAA Tournament victory since 2021, beating Clemson, before knocking off the defending national champion Florida Gators in the round of 32.

Iowa ousted rival Nebraska in the Sweet 16 before bowing out against another Big Ten rival Illinois in the Elite Eight.