It did not take long for Nikola Topic to make his presence felt. The Oklahoma City Thunder may have just won the 2025 NBA title, but that has not stopped last year’s first-round pick from forcing his way into the rotation conversation. After a strong Summer League showing, Topic is already making Thunder coaches reassess how deep their rotation can realistically go heading into the 2025-26 season.
Topic’s combination of size, patience, and floor vision has stood out from the moment he first stepped on the court. At 6-foot-6, he brings a different physical profile to the Thunder’s backcourt, offering a blend of playmaking and control that few rookies enter the league with. His ability to navigate pick-and-rolls and create passing angles makes him an ideal fit in a system that thrives on unselfish movement and high-IQ decision-making.
The issue, of course, is not whether Topic can play, rather it's who he would be playing over. Oklahoma City’s guard depth is as stacked as any team in the league. With the entire championship core returning, it is not exactly a rotation built for giving rookies easy minutes. That said, Topic might be good enough to leave the coaching staff with no choice.
Topic looks like one of the best players in his class
There are already signs that the Thunder could experiment with larger, more creative backcourt lineups next season. Adding Topic into the mix could give the Thunder another steady initiator, someone capable of running second units or even closing certain games depending on matchups.
This is part of what makes Oklahoma City’s future so terrifying for the rest of the league. The Thunder just captured the title with one of the youngest cores in NBA history, and they continue to stack more high-upside talent onto an already loaded roster. If Topic is as good as he has looked, it only strengthens an organization that has somehow managed to stay both disciplined and aggressive throughout its rebuild.
Even in a crowded guard room, Topic’s advanced feel and physical tools could help him carve out a real role sooner than expected. He's likely not going to play 30 minutes a night or anything, but there is a path toward consistent minutes, and the Thunder staff knows it. The rotation may be settled on paper, but Nikola Topic is doing everything he can to shake it up.