Every year, OKC Thunder fans hope that Nikola Topic will finally become a part of their beloved club's regular rotation. Unfortunately, something always seems to get in the way.
For the most part, this has largely been due to health-related issues, ranging from a torn ACL to testicular cancer.
Now, as he heads into year three of his NBA career, he may once again end up on the outside looking in on a rotation spot due to the sheer fact that there are simply far too many high-quality backcourt talents ahead of him in coach Mark Daigneault's pecking order.
Tuesday's preseason opener against the Pelicans served as a grave reminder that this could very well be the case.
Nikola Topic clearly has a ton of competition in Thunder backcourt
Even on a night when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Cason Wallace, and Alex Caruso were all inactive, the Thunder still saw stellar production from their guards while Topic watched from the sidelines with a back ailment.
Sure, the usual suspects certainly played well, with Ajay Mitchell posting 11 points and four assists on 50.0 percent shooting from deep in the starting lineup, while Jared McCain flourished alongside him with 12 points and five assists on four-for-eight shooting from beyond the arc.
However, even the young rookie prospects like Bennett Stirtz and Josh Dix produced extremely well in their 30 minutes of play, with the former making an impact in virtually all aspects of the game while finishing with 15 points and six assists on 66.7 percent shooting from the floor, while the latter flashed his standout off-ball motion and catch-and-shoot prowess.
When the Thunder offloaded the likes of Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins, and Isaiah Joe earlier this offseason in a string of separate trades, many seemed to be under the impression that Topic could finally be in line to receive a fair share of playing time by eating up some of the vacated minutes created by their respective departures.
Unfortunately for him, instead of a clear lane to absorb these minutes, the point guard may find himself in a more competitive battle against greener, only slightly less experienced players than he is.
With this in mind, not only is he stationed behind SGA, Wallace, Mitchell, McCain, and Caruso in the backcourt hierarchy heading into 2026-27, but, come preseason's end, someone like Stirtz could also realistically work his way ahead of him.
Topic has been dealt a raw hand since entering the association when it comes to coming across in-game action, seeing a total of just 10 games and 160 minutes played. Don't be surprised if this rough ride continues into year three.
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