OKC Thunder: How Nikola Topic's On-Court Absence can be Beneficial this Season

After suffering a torn ACL weeks before the 2024 NBA Draft, the Oklahoma City Thunder will have to wait an entire season for their dynamic playmaker.

Nikola Topic stands with Thunder general manager Sam Presti during an introductory press conference for the 2024 Thunder draft picks at Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center in Oklahoma City, Saturday, June, 29, 2024. / SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY

On Wednesday, Thunder guard Nikola Topic underwent a successful procedure to repair a left ACL tear. This comes over a month after Oklahoma City selected the Serbian guard with the 12th overall pick, leaving Topic to miss the entire upcoming season before seeing his NBA debut in the 2025-26 season.

Topic’s knee issues in the previous season didn’t quite deter scouts putting him top-ten and top-five on draft night, but his partially torn ACL was a bit too much for teams to overlook – outside of Sam Presti and the Thunder.

Having dealt with the delayed arrival of Chet Holmgren due to a Lisfranc fracture that occurred shortly after his draft date, Presti and Oklahoma City seem to be comfortable with the position they are in, and the pick they selected him with. Shipping off Josh Giddey to the Chicago Bulls on June 21, the team will need some creativity in the backcourt for the coming years. Topic will be able to offer that and then some when his time arrives, as the organization looks at him to become a foundational playmaker next season.

This hiatus in his debut in the league is not all negative, as seen from Holmgren’s situation. The former Gonzaga Bulldog was able to conceptualize what it is like to be on an NBA team, the rigorous schedule and the work ethic it takes to become productive at this level. He sat back, observing, examining what he could do to better himself and his situation. 

Topic will be able to do the same, and when he steps on that floor in 2025-26, he’ll have a bit more insight as a rookie compared to the incoming class.

---

Want to join the discussion? Like Draft Digest on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest NBA Draft news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.