Bennett Stirtz enters the NBA as one of the most polished rookies out of the 2026 NFL Draft class.
He may not seem to have a ton of upside, but he can handle, distribute and shoot the basketball. He’s the type of player who can help his team win, just as he did at every level of college hoops.
Stirtz did enter the league in an interesting place, though, as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Thunder are a powerhouse, and that can mean a rookie won’t always play. They have a ton of depth.
That’s the case on Thursday night as the Thunder play their second game of the season, this one against the Denver Nuggets. Stirtz didn’t get on the court in the first half.
Is Bennett Stritz Playing Tonight? Is He Hurt?
Stirtz isn’t hurt and he is available to play on Thursday night.
That doesn’t mean the Thunder are going to put him in the game, though.
OKC has an established rotation, and at the moment it doesn’t seem to include Stirtz.
They start Cason Wallace alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the backcourt.
Off the bench, they have guards Alex Caruso and Jared McCain and Ajay Mitchell.
That just doesn’t leave enough room for Stirtz.
Why Bennett Stirtz Isn’t Playing
Those five guards mentioned above are keeping Stirtz off the floor.
The rookie point guard will likely get a chance to play when the Thunder blow out their opponents. But when they’re in close games, it probably won’t work in quite the same manner.
Teams don’t play six guards in a rotation very much. The Thunder have five obvious guards, plus the wing Jalen Williams, to occupy most of the perimeter minutes.
That leaves Stirtz on the sideline watching.
Bennett Stirtz Draft Pick
The Stirtz pick was technically made by the Memphis Grizzlies at No. 16 in the 2026 NBA Draft, but he was immediately sent to the Thunder in a trade.
Stirtz began his career at the Division II level, then moved up to Drake and then to Iowa.
In his final college season, he averaged 19.8 points and 4.4 assists per game while shooting 35.8% from 3-point range and 84.8% from the line.
Standing 6-foot-4, Stirtz can work on an NBA court. He just may have to be patient to get his chance.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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