Grading the OKC Thunder 2024 NBA Draft Pick: Nikola Topic

The Oklahoma City Thunder have selected Nikola Topic with the No. 12 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. It is time to grade the pick.

Jun 26, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Nikola Topic poses for photos with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected in the first round by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2024 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder have made their selection at pick No. 12 going with Serbia guard Nikola Topic. With previous success at the No. 12 selection, the Thunder are hoping they have landed yet another steal.

At points throughout this process, Topic was regarded as one of the top talents in the class flying up big boards into the top five - some landing as high as No. 1 for the Serbia product. However, knee injuries slide Topic down boards with the latest being a partially torn ACL that is set to sideline him for the entire 2024-25 NBA season.

However, the organization has been through a redshirt season before and feels confident in its ability to maximize the year off for Topic as they did for star center Chet Holmgren. That was part of the thought process behind selecting the guard in the lottery.

Oklahoma City also reset itsr timeline with a jumbo-playmaking guard archetype. After shipping Josh Giddey to the Windy City last week, Oklahoma City selected Topic who is a 6-foot-5 playmaker with a more likely path to shooting success.

Topic finished at the rim at a high clip (68 percent) and knocking in free throws at a 86 percent clip - with Chip Engelland in need of another project, the potential for the 18-year-old to maximize his jump shot is far more likely than it ever was with Giddey along with his already productive rim finishing.

Another area the franchise thinks will allow this archetype redux to pan out is the starting point. Topic will immediately know the role he is walking into and be allowed to grow in it with the team rather than the ever-changing challenges Giddey faced.

The Topic selection is non-inspiring for the current iteration of the team - mainly as he is sidelined for the entire season - though, even if the Thunder took aim at a more "pro-ready player" the path to consistent minutes with this loaded roster would be hard to come by.

Though, that is the luxury Oklahoma City can afford. With a team already loaded with talent after a 57-win season, the Thunder can gamble on Topic reaching his top-five talent potential without any concerns of a flame out.

If Topic hits the Thunder had a supremely talented player to an already championship-level core. If the 18-year-old struggles to adjust to the NBA, sees his jump shot never come around, and is sluggish defensively there is no harm no foul.

Topic not panning out does not set the Thunder back even a step in their climb up the mountain in hopes of reaching the championship summit. OKC enjoys many get-out-of-jail-free cards in future draft picks and ways to make up for a potential miss. However, if he is a top-five talent in this draft, it is like riding an elevator to the top of Everest.

Oklahoma City was never going to be in a position to count on a rookie from this class, with plenty of options in free agency and on the trade market to make higher impacts on next year's team than a rookie ever could. It is on the Thunder now to bolster their roster with more experienced players as Free Agency is on their doorstep.

Grade: B - A house money gamble that if it pays off sets up the franchise and if not, it will be forgotten about in mere days after the era hypothetically came to a close.

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