The calendar has flipped to August. Which means we're in the dog days of the NBA's year-round calendar. Little will happen over the next two months as teams across the league prepare for the 2026-27 season. Before we move on, though, let's reflect one last time on last year.
The Oklahoma City Thunder had a league-best 64-18 regular-season record. Juggling injuries all year, they overcame notable absences all year. Alas, they fell short of a second NBA championship with a 2026 Western Conference Finals exit.
To reflect on their 2025-26 season, Thunder Wire will conduct player grades for all 20 players who suited up for them this past year. Fourteenth up is Bennett Stirtz, who was the No. 16 pick of the 2026 NBA draft:
Compliment SGA
The best way to take advantage of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's gravity is by surrounding him with outside shooters. The drive-heavy scorer demands attention from all five defenders. As soon as he's inside of the paint, opposing defenses collapse. That's where Stirtz could come in and help. Drive-and-kick is the nitty-gritty part of OKC's offensive ecosystem. He could be next in line to receive plenty of catch-and-shoot looks.
Stirtz grades out as a plus outside shooter. Even though he prefers creating his own offense, he must figure out a way to excel with limited touches as a role player. The best way to do that? By putting up shot attempts as soon as the ball reaches him beyond the arc. He's full of confidence, so don't think you need to be afraid of him getting gun-shy. It's just about actually knocking down semi-open looks.
Be a second-unit scorer
The Thunder said goodbye to three longtime role players this summer. They made a handful of cost-cutting moves to get below the second apron. Part of the reason they felt comfortable in doing so is trust in their developmental ability. Stirtz figures to be part of the next generation of OKC role players. His fit with the starters is pretty easy to spell out. He'll be in a complementary role.
But among the second unit, Stirtz could get more creative freedom. He could be another ball-handler the Thunder can go to. He showed some of that at Iowa. His pick-and-roll game is pretty sharp. He's also willing to create his own buckets. His off-the-dribble repertoire and outside range favor him as somebody who can hit difficult jumpers at a decent clip. Those are skills that OKC's bench lineup would welcome with open arms.
Help from the jump
The back end of the Thunder roster is filled with question marks. There are four players who have giant question marks hovering over their heads. Of the four, Stirtz has a pretty clear pathway to help from the jump. The 22-year-old has a ready-now game. His outside jumper should translate to the NBA level. And he has a high enough floor as a ball-handler to show a little more juice from the jump.
Considering the Thunder moved on from two offensive-oriented role players in Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins, Stirtz could seamlessly take up a handful of their vacated possessions. The rest of OKC's young players are mostly developmental projects. Nobody should expect contributions from them until next year at the earliest. But he's the lone exception as a more polished rookie.
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: OKC Thunder 3 goals: Bennett Stirtz should help from the jump