OKC Thunder Grab Two Upperclassmen in Latest Mock Draft

The Oklahoma City Thunder are amid another regular-season run, hoping to leave with the top record in the league, or in the very least the No. 1 seed in the West.

Despite having eyes on another title, they’re still one of the more draft-rich teams in the association, having traded a first for Jared McCain at the trade deadline, and still owning two first-round picks in the 2026 NBA Draft, one of which is currently in the lottery.

The 2026 NBA Draft has been heralded as one of the deepest in some time, offering three No. 1-level players and depth throughout the lottery and first-round. The true freshmen have been especially eye-catching, impacting college basketball at unprecedented levels.

Despite that, Oklahoma City left with two upperclassmen in a recent mock draft: Texas’ wing Dailyn Swain, and Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz.

Swain was selected with the Clippers’ first at No. 14. He’s been one of the fastest-rising players in the country through conference play, putting together blistering numbers centered around his size, skill and athleticism.

The junior stands at 6-foot-8, with a pro-ready frame and movement skills. He’s long impacted college ball, dating back to time with Xavier, but is now amid a breakout season with the Longhorns.

His season numbers are great already: nearly 18 points on 57% shooting, with 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.8 steals. Through conference play he’s been even better, averaging 20.5 points on 58% shooting.

Swain’s a strong two-way player, offering versatile defense and solid role-player scoring. The reason for his draft jump could very well be his on-ball prowess, as he’s shown real creation ability in his lone season with Texas.

All in all, he makes for an intriguing bet for Oklahoma City, who values positional size and two-way versatility, and doesn’t have a lengthy athletic wing of this kind.

With the No. 18 pick courtesy of Philadelphia, OKC selected senior Bennett Stirtz out of Iowa.

Stirtz played two seasons of Division II basketball, before moving on to Drake, and finally following head coach Ben McCollum to Iowa. He’s been massively successful at each stop, most recently averaging 20.6 points on 39% 3-point shooting, with 4.5 assists per game.

At 6-foot-4, he’s a ball-dominant lead guard with an affinity for wearing out the pick-and-roll. He has a stop-and-start style, keeping defenders on their toes with fiery pull-up jump-shooting.

Stirtz’ isn’t a seamless fit with the Thunder, but the organization has a history of taking good basketball players and figuring it out later, and his best-in-class feel for the game is a strong argument for choosing him at No. 18.

Both Swain and Stirtz are on the older side as far as this draft class goes, but could step into roles for Oklahoma City as soon as next season.