Back To The Topic?
The Denver Nuggets have Nikola Jokic, who’ll go down as the greatest player in franchise history. The Chicago Bulls have Nikola Vucevic, although that’s not by choice. Then the Miami Heat have Nikola Jovic, an up-and-coming player whose contract they recently extended. Atlanta Hawks rookie Nikola Djurisic, drafted in 2024, signed a three-year contract this offseason.
The Thunder have Nikola Topic. Like Djurisic, Topic is also preparing for his rookie season despite being drafted in 2024, albeit as the 12th overall pick rather than the 43rd overall pick. However, the difference between their draft positions and subsequently their upside isn’t the only difference between them. While Djurisic spent 2024-25 in the G League, Topic was out with an ACL injury.
As a result of Oklahoma City’s title run, the 6-foot-6 playmaker was pushed to the back of most people’s minds. All the same, he quickly made many remember his name. In this year’s Summer League, Topic averaged 10.8 points, 5.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game. His shots were often errant but his mind and feel were sharp. In the Thunder’s 2025-26 preseason opener, the floor general was even more on point.
Yet, OKC recently announced Topic will be re-evaluated in 4-6 weeks after undergoing a testicular operation (h/t The Stein Line’s Marc Stein). This isn’t a turning point in his career but with his frequent absences, his unreliability is becoming a problem. As they say, availability is often the best ability. So, Topic’s lack of durability begs the question: will he become a trade piece or rotation piece?
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