ESPN insider Shams Charania nearly had NBA fans questioning the integrity of the league on Tuesday night.
During the first round of the NBA Draft, Charania said the Memphis Grizzlies agreed to trade No. 16 pick Bennett Stirtz to the Oklahoma City Thunder for two second-round picks. As soon as this report was shared online, fans were confused as to why Memphis would give up a top-16 pick for a pair of second-rounders.
"That’s very questionable, does that mean OKC have traded pick 17?? I like the fit though for Stirtz," one fan said.
"Who is Memphis gm? 2 2nds was all it took for you to let go of a 1st in a loaded draft? Wow," a second fan commented.
"You might have left out some key details," another fan wrote.
© Brad Penner-Imagn Images.
Well, it turns out Charania made a mistake. The Thunder also sent the 17th pick to the Grizzlies as part of this deal.
"Memphis will draft No. 17 now via OKC," Charania said in a follow-up post. "So the Grizzlies get two second-round picks and swap the No. 16 pick for No. 17."
Bennett Stirtz should make an impact for OKC.
Thunder fans should get familiar with Stirtz, who was a standout guard at Drake and Iowa.
The Hawkeyes made a run to the Elite Eight this past season in large part because of Stirtz, who averaged 19.8 points per game.
"Stirtz was likely to come off the board in this range and turned out to be a target for the Thunder, who were presumably worried about Memphis picking him and willing to pay to ensure they got him," ESPN's Jeremy Woo said. "He is a rotation-ready playmaker who gives OKC additional shooting and playmaking off the bench."
We'll see if Stirtz cracks Oklahoma City's rotation for the 2026-27 season.
