Thunder Deemed ‘Biggest Winner’ From Round One of the NBA Draft

The Thunder added one of the draft’s top prospects that slipped late due to an injury.

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

Oklahoma City made a splash selection in the late lottery on Wednesday night. The Thunder were linked to many prospects, but none of them ended up being the one. And that’s likely because management never thought Nikola Topic had a chance of falling so far down the board.

Topic, a tall, lengthy guard was projected as a Top 5 player all season long before partially tearing his ACL before the pre-draft process. The injury might’ve scared a few teams off, but Oklahoma City decided to take a chance. And the Thunder are in a position to take that chance, too. Topic will get a redshirt year, much like Chet Holmgren, and could end up being one of the biggest value plays in the entire draft.

Topic began the 2023-24 season playing for Mega MIS in the Adriatic league before transferring back to Crvena Zvezda. He had an impressive season for both clubs, and if he hadn’t suffered that unfortunate knee injury, Oklahoma City likely would’ve missed out on his services. He averaged 15.9 points, 5.9 assists and 3.5 rebounds in 20 total games.

After the first round, ESPN deemed Oklahoma City as a big winner from night one.

“Less than a week after trading starting point guard Josh Giddey to the Chicago Bulls, the Thunder replaced him with arguably the best point guard in the draft in Topic,” Jonathan Givony wrote.

“Having built an incredible array of young talent, while brimming with future draft picks, the Thunder can afford to play the long game with Topic, who will miss all of next season with a torn ACL that will require surgery in the coming weeks, under Oklahoma City's careful supervision.

Topic ranked as one of the best pick-and-roll players in European basketball already as an 18-year-old, which is scary considering how much point guards typically continue to improve in this area with age and experience. His ability to make instantaneous reads while mapping out the court and processing the game with surgical precision is a rare and coveted commodity in today's NBA game.”

While Topic and Giddey certainly aren’t the same player, the crafty passing point guard profile lines up. Topic is lightning fast with a strong handle, however, and loves to finish through contact at the rim. He’s one of the best finishers in the entire draft class and has been an elite pick-and-roll operator.

Oklahoma City doesn’t need him to make an immediate impact and will allow him to focus on his recovery. Once he’s back on the court, this pick could look like a serious steal down the line.

It’s easy to see how the Thunder would be considered a winner in this situation, even if the payoff won’t show until later on down the line.

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