Bennett Stirtz Climbs Draft Boards After Combine Workouts

The 2026 NBA Draft class is proving to be one of the deepest in recent memory, making prospect movement particularly impactful. After a strong Combine showing and subsequent workouts, Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz is generating serious buzz as a potential top-20 pick.

Stirtz, who averaged nearly 20 points for Iowa, has reportedly completed pre-draft workouts with the Bulls, Hornets, and Raptors. His strong offensive output and increasing interest from teams picking in the late lottery to mid-first round indicate his stock is firmly on an upward trajectory.

Another significant riser is Yaxel Lendeborg, with Evan Sidery reporting that he is drawing considerable pre-draft interest from teams like the Bucks, Warriors, Thunder, Heat, and Hornets. All of these teams pick in the 10-14 range, suggesting Lendeborg is trending toward being a surefire lottery selection.

His Combine performance clearly solidified his standing, pushing him into a range we, as Pistons fans, will be watching closely.

Meanwhile, the Adidas NextGen Tournament in Athens has been a hotbed for international talent. NBA scouts, including Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress, were in attendance to evaluate top European prospects.

Players like Mohamed Dabone of Barcelona overwhelmed American frontcourts with his explosiveness, scoring 28 points and 9 rebounds on just 10 shots in one game. Spain's Sergio De Larrea was highlighted by DraftExpress as a key player to watch during the Euroleague Final Four, a sign of his growing intrigue.

Other European standouts included Montenegro's Maksim Brnović, who looked natural handling and passing at 6'10", and Serbia's Aleksej Nedeljković, who despite an 0-3 group stage, elevated his standing as a future NBA prospect, dropping 55 combined points against 3SSB and Žalgiris.

Duke commit Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje also impressed at the NextGen Finals, showing off guard skills at 7'0". He averaged 19.7 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 4.3 APG, and 2.0 SPG on impressive shooting splits.

The consensus from teams, per Eric Sidery, is that this draft class is remarkably strong through the first round, making any significant upward movement for a prospect notable.