Nikola Topic reveals the one Thunder player who has been 'helping a lot' during rehab

This offseason, the OKC Thunder added a slew of new players to their rotation. From free agency to the trade market, GM Sam Presti journeyed down many different avenues as he looked to strengthen the roster of the reiging top-seed in the Western Conference standings.

Arguably one of the most prominent and intriguing additions to Oklahoma City's talent pool came during the 2024 NBA Draft, where the franchise managed to snatch up Serbian point guard, Nikola Topic with the 12 overall selection.

If healthy, the 6-foot-6, 19-year-old floor general would have been a serious contender to be selected with the number one overall pick and, at worst, be in the running for a top-five slot on the night.

Unfortunately for him, Topic partially tore his ACL while playing overseas last season and is slated to miss his entire rookie campaign in the NBA as he rehabs from offseason surgery.

Because of this, the highly-touted prospect fell to the back end of the lottery where the Thunder ultimately opted to take a chance on him fully recovering for 2025-26, leading some to believe that the club may have come away with one of the biggest steals from the entire draft class.

What bodes well for the organization is the fact that they have recent experience in successfully navigating through a season where a top-flight rookie has been relegated to the sidelines due to injury, as Chet Holmgren sat out his entire 2021-22 season due to a foot injury.

Thunder rookie Nikola Topic praises Chet Holmgren for his help

During his first year of activity in 2023-24, he broke onto the scene and established himself as one of the brightest young stars down in the frontcourt after posting sensational averages of 16.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game.

Not only does this recent success instill confidence among fans and pundits that the Thunder are more than capable of replicating such a storyline, but it has also proven to be a major comfort for Topic himself, as he revealed during Monday's Media Day that Holmgren has been "helping a lot" as he inches toward a redshirt rookie season.

While Topic acknowledged that he has developed a connection with all of his Thunder teammates, during a sit-down at the Media Day festivities he pinpointed Holmgrem, specifically, for his help while journeying through his rehabilitation process.

"We all talk very often about basketball and some other things -- life in general. They're really helpful. Especially Chet, who had the same situation [as] me and we've been talking pretty often. He's been helping a lot," Topic said.

Though Topic will need the entire season to recover from his successful ACL surgery this summer, he did provide fans with words of optimism at Media Day, saying that he's "feeling great," "healthier," and that he's "feeling better everyday."