Does the OKC Thunder's Loaded Backcourt Have Room for Bennett Stirtz Minutes?

The newest guard addition will have to work hard for playing time.

Mar 28, 2026; Houston, TX, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes guard Bennett Stirtz (14) reacts in the first half against the Illinois Fighting Illini during an Elite Eight game of the South Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Thunder’s newest guard will have to fight for in-game reps. 

The Oklahoma City Thunder traded up one spot in the first round of the NBA Draft and took the No. 16 pick instead of No. 17. With this pick, they added another asset to their already loaded backcourt in Bennett Stirtz.

The addition of Stirtz will no doubt be valuable to this OKC squad, but it will also cause a lot of shakeup with how next season will go. The road ahead for Stirtz to acquire minutes in a young, star-studded guard room will be hard, but it won’t be impossible. 

It’s speculated that one spot will open up soon with a shakeup of the roster. Taking two players in the first round all but solidified OKC moving on from another player, and rumors have it that it could be either Isaiah Joe or Lu Dort. If one of those players is to be shipped off, then minutes open for Stirtz to work in the rotation. 

Oklahoma City could also use a knockdown shooter from three, as its percentage from beyond the arc fluctuated in games. Stirtz showed he can not only knock down shots, but he can create them himself. He averaged 19.8 points this past season at Iowa while shooting 47.7% from the field and 35.8% from three. If the Hawkeye guard can find his shot at the next level, OKC would be more than happy to let him see the floor if he could knock down big shots from deep. 

Stirtz could also earn more playing time by buying into the Thunder’s defense. He isn’t the most lockdown defensive player by any means, but he has shown Thunder qualities. He averaged 1.4 steals this past season, and 2.1 the year before that. Tough defensive guards have become the Thunder’s bread and butter, and if Stirtz can buy into that, he will be just fine. 

You never want to see it happen, but Stirtz could also be a nice cushion if injuries occur. Both Ajay Mitchell and Jalen Williams were riddled with injuries this past season, and it's something you always have to prepare for. With the addition of Stirtz, making the guard room that much deeper, OKC won’t have to worry as much about someone stepping up when things go haywire. 

It will no doubt be a fight for Stirtz to earn minutes on one of the best teams in the NBA, but the path is there. If he buys in early and showcases how he can help the squad early, Stirtz could start to become a familiar face as the season goes on.