Nikola Topic watched from the sideline as the Oklahoma City Thunder won their first NBA championship. The 12th pick in the 2024 draft tore his ACL last May, ending his rookie season before it began.
Thunder fans were still celebrating the title when they shifted gears to summer league with the anticipation of Topic's debut building. He played in Salt Lake City and Las Vegas, knocking off some rust while showing his potential. His passing abilities are on a different level, like another current NBA superstar from Serbia.
Topic will enter the 2025-26 season as a rookie, but a rookie that has a leg up among other newcomers. He plays for the best organization in the league and soaked up knowledge last season when he was unable to play. The lessons he learned will help carry him forward.
He just turned 20 (as of two days ago), so Topic is still a work in progress, but he could become another homegrown star for Oklahoma City. The Thunder narrowly missed out on another lottery pick in June, but they have Topic. The rich still managed to get even richer, thanks to Sam Presti.
The Thunder have a potential future star in Nikola Topic
Topic is in a unique position, trying to find his fit in what could be a dynasty in the making. Everyone saw how dominant the Thunder were last season without Topic, leaving a question mark as to how he'll fit into next season's rotation, if at all. Oklahoma's backcourt is bursting with talent.
The rookie could make a strong case to Mark Daigneault for minutes between his vision and his atypical size for a guard (six-foot-six with an eight-foot-six standing reach). Odds are that most of his playing time next season will come in the G League, which will help his development and give the Thunder a better idea of how he fits into their future.
Having an abundance of young talent isn't a bad thing, certainly not in today's CBA world. Topic is another weapon that OKC has in its already stacked arsenal. The potential is there, but you can't rush the process. The Thunder knew that they were investing in a long-term project when they selected Topic.
If he becomes what Oklahoma City thinks he can be, the rest of the league will have another reason to envy the Thunder.