Thunder's Nikola Topic: Unlikely to play for OKC in 2024-25
Rotowire
Thunder general manager Sam Presti said Thursday that he doesn't expect Topic (knee) to play for Oklahoma City during the upcoming season, Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman reports.
Even a fully healthy Topic would have faced an uphill battle to earn meaningful minutes as a 19-year-old rookie on a deep Thunder roster, so Oklahoma City is content to view the 2024-25 season as a redshirt year for the No. 12 pick in the draft, who suffered a partial ACL tear in his left knee in late April. Per Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman, Topic said that he doesn't have a full grasp on a recovery timeline for his injury, which will likely depend on the type of surgery he undergoes on the compromised ACL. He'll first meet with the Thunder training staff before a treatment plan as well as a recovery timeline are established. Listed at 6-foot-6 with a 6-foot-11 wingspan, Topic is a big point guard who's a gifted passer but a shaky perimeter shooter, making his skill set somewhat reminiscent of Josh Giddey, whom the Thunder recently traded to the Bulls. Though he won't be a factor in the Thunder rotation during the upcoming campaign, Topic is expected to be around the team and conduct his rehab in Oklahoma City, much like 2022 No. 2 overall pick Chet Holmgren did in his first professional season while recovering from a foot injury.
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Thunder's Nikola Topic: Goes 12th overall to Thunder
Rotowire
Topic (knee) was selected by the Thunder with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
While the Thunder, who owned the Rockets' pick, had a chance to add an instant-impact player, they instead opted to add a future piece in Topic. The 18-year-old out of Serbia is one of the more intriguing guards in the draft, possessing excellent scoring and playmaking ability at 6-foot-6. However, he's recovering from a partially torn ACL in his left knee, and his availability for the upcoming season is uncertain. Even if he's cleared to play at some point in 2024-25, the Thunder view Topic as a developmental player, so he's unlikely to make much of an impact in Year 1 for one of the best rosters in the Western Conference.
