Games like the Oklahoma City Thunder's matchup yesterday against the Phoenix Suns tend to hold very little intrigue. With all of their starters outside of Lu Dort resting, the expectations for their performance were never that high.
But Nikola Topic, in just his tenth career NBA appearance, was highly impressive. Through 39 minutes on the court, he posted 18 points, four rebounds, and 14 assists while going 8-of-16 from the floor and 2-of-5 from 3-point range.
Given the adversity he's battled through to even get to this point, his outing was a major triumph. He's regained much of the creativity and the ball-handling ability the Thunder saw when they drafted him 12th overall in 2024.
Mark Daigneault has already stated that this season won't be used to evaluate Topic's performance. With the time he spent away from the game, that's the right way to approach his return. But his performance on Sunday night begs a burning Thunder question.
While the playoff rotation for this season is already set, how soon will Oklahoma City need to carve out space for him? Could he be a difference-making piece as soon as next season?
Nikola Topic has exceeded all expectations for what his return to basketball might look like
When it was announced that Topic would see his first NBA action this season, the hope was that he would spend the remainder of this campaign finding his legs again, regaining his strength and stamina to prepare for a shot at the rotation in 2026-27.
He accomplished that goal. And then he far exceeded it.
Although he saw limited time in the NBA, he was lights-out in the G-League, averaging 18.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 7.8 assists through 13 games with the OKC Blue. He shot 46.5% from 3-point range during that span.
His performance against Phoenix was the culmination of all of the work he's put in to get back to this point. He earned this opportunity, and he made the most of it.
For their part, Oklahoma City already has some questions to answer surrounding their backcourt next season. What sort of role will Jared McCain take on in the third year of his rookie contract? Will Alex Caruso's $20 million annual salary still be viable? With the emergence of Cason Wallace and Ajay Mitchell as integral contributors, it will be difficult to find minutes for all of their guards if a move is not made.
It will requre a strong preseason, but Topic has clearly entered that fray with the way he's played this season. The Thunder, therefore, now have another question on their hands.
The time will soon come when they need to provide an answer.