The Oklahoma City Thunder will depend heavily on their re-shaped depth in 2026-27.
With the departures of Luguentz Dort, Aaron Wiggins, and Isaiah Joe in separate trades this offseason, they'll need each of their young players to step into bigger roles. Cason Wallace or Ajay Mitchell will step into Dort's starting spot, and Jared McCain will be able to replace some of the perimeter shooting that both Joe and Wiggins provided.
On the whole, Oklahoma City is in a position to simply cycle in their fresh talent.
But Bennett Stirtz, whom the Thunder selected at 16th overall in the 2026 NBA Draft, remains a major wildcard. With the re-shaping of the backcourt in Oklahoma City, there's room for Stirtz to emerge as an extra ball-handler, and that's likely the role the Thunder drafted him for.
If he's going to seize that role, though, he's going to need to emerge both as a reliable perimeter shooter and a capable on-ball defender within the Thunder's scheme. His role in the rotation will depend upon it.
Bennett Stirtz can have a real role to play in the Thunder's rotation in 2026-27
Even if their intention was always to extend Isaiah Hartenstein, the Thunder's decision to target Aday Mara at 12th overall made sense. Thomas Sorber missed the entirety of his rookie season with a torn ACL, and the Thunder need to develop depth long-term at the center position as they vie with the San Antonio Spurs for control over the Western Conference.
Their decision to draft a guard was slightly more controversial. Even with Joe, Wiggins, and Dort out of the picture, Oklahoma City still needs minutes to grant to McCain, Alex Caruso, and even third-year guard Nikola Topic. The backcourt wasn't seen as their most pressing area of need, and it's likely still not even after their series of trades.
But we saw what happened in last year's playoffs when injuries caused the team to suffer a deficit of ball-handling. With Mitchell and Jalen Williams down, there simply weren't enough on-ball creators to keep the offense afloat. Stirtz can certainly function in that capacity if necessary.
But even with everyone healthy, there might be a role in the rotation for him to carve out.
In his final college season at the University of Iowa, Stirtz averaged 19.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 4.4 assists while shooting 35.8% from beyond the arc. He was primarily an on-ball creator in that offense, but he also flashed upside as an off-ball scorer— converting roughly 52% of his catch-and-shoot opportunities over the course of the season.
At 6'2" and possessing a 6'6" wingspan, Stirtz certainly won't be among the league's best on-ball defenders at any point in his career. He still struggles to contain faster guards and can get out of position easily when he's forced to face off against more athletic players.
But the Thunder's defensive scheme is capable of maximizing even the smallest guards. Just look at the strides McCain was able to take during the stretch of the season he spent in Oklahoma City after his trade from the Philadelphia 76ers.
If Stirtz is able to operate consistently off-ball and hold his own in the Thunder's swarming defensive attack, there's room for him to take on some of the wing minutes left open by the departures of Dort, Wiggins, and Joe. It won't be an easy transition, but it's certainly one he can make during the regular season.
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