The OKC Thunder are already known as one of the deepest and most well-rounded squads the NBA currently has to offer.
From their two All-Stars and All-Defensive selectees to their slew of former lottery-selected ballers that serve as regulars within the club's rotation, Oklahoma City is undeniably stacked when it comes to promising talents.
However, come next season, coach Mark Daigneault will be adding yet another promising young prospect to his collection, and, according to beloved veteran Lu Dort, this particular individual is already showing signs of becoming a truly special player in this league.
Lu Dort says 'you can just see' how special Thunder guard Nikola Topic is
While fielding questions during his Finals Media Availability, Dort was asked specifically about how he sees redshirted 2024 lottery pick Nikola Topic faring in the NBA come next season and beyond.
Though the guard has yet to see a lick of in-game action in the league, as he's spent his rookie year recovering from his late-July surgery to repair a partially torn ACL, the defensive savant believes he's seen enough in practice and behind closed doors to think the Thunder have found yet another impressive talent who can help this team moving forward.
"He's been doing a lot of his recovery stuff, but you can just see the talent and how he's so comfortable with the ball. Recently, he started playing with us and [has been] a little more active for us. He's still getting back from his injury but I can just see how he's comfortable with the ball and the type of player he's going to be," Dort said of Topic.
Outspoken excitement regarding the Serbian native is certainly not a new phenomenon. Dating back to last June's NBA Draft, many believed Oklahoma City snatched up one of the biggest steals on the night with Topic, as he was once regarded as a legitimate option to be taken with the top selection on before his knee injury.
Ultimately, the Thunder were able to land such a prospect with the 12 pick during the festivities.
While they may currently be gearing up for the 2025 NBA Finals and, in turn, a shot at taking home the Larry O'Brien Trophy, OKC still has a few glaring weaknesses in its game.
Perhaps one of their most troublesome sore spots is their lack of offensive initiation and efficiency without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the floor, as the team plummets to a putrid 114.8 points per 100 possessions (53 percentile) and 111.1 offensive rating with the MVP sidelined.
Adding someone who can reliably run an offense and create clean scoring looks (be it for themselves or others) should undoubtedly be near the top of Sam Presti's offseason to-do list, and a guy like Nikola Topic who averaged 6.9 assists per game in 2023-24 and was widely regarded as one of the purest floor generals in his class could very be the type of talent this team is looking for.