Nikola

Topić

Topic had to undergo a testicular procedure in the offseason, and Presti revealed that the procedure was a biopsy to determine if the 20-year-old had cancer. Unfortunately, the results came back that Topic was indeed dealing with testicular cancer. Topic has begun chemotherapy treatment, and Presti said that the medical team is confident that he will make a recovery. Obviously, there has been no discussion about his timeline to return to the court, and the main goal is simply to ensure his health and well-being.

Topić, who played 31 minutes in his preseason debut Sunday evening, underwent a testicular procedure on Monday. Unfortunately, the rookie, due to be part of the reigning champions’ bench rotation, will not be available when Oklahoma City opens its regular season. Given the reported timeline, there’s a chance Topić will be good to go before Thanksgiving. His absence likely means second-year guard Ajay Mitchell will have an opportunity to earn rotation minutes as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s backup. Mitchell would not be a draft-worthy player in most fantasy leagues. The 12th overall pick in the 2024 draft, Topić has yet to make his official NBA debut, as he missed all of last season with a torn ACL.

Topic missed all of his would-be rookie season in 2024-25 with an ACL tear, but he looked solid in Summer League and got off to a great start in the preseason. Oklahoma City is deep at multiple positions, so Topic’s path to meaningful minutes may be tough to navigate in 2025-26.

After firing up 18 shots on Thursday, Topić appeared more focused on making plays for others Saturday afternoon. The rookie dished out a game-high 10 assists while committing just three turnovers as Oklahoma City rolled to a 21-point victory. Having missed the 2024-25 season as he rehabbed from a torn ACL, Topić will look to earn opportunities off the bench with the reigning NBA champions. While he may not offer great value in redraft leagues, Topić will be well worth selecting in dynasty start-ups.

Oklahoma City is one of eight teams that played before arriving in Las Vegas, giving their players a head start on the competition. After committing eight turnovers in his final game in Salt Lake City, Topić got that number down to three on Thursday. The role he’s playing during the summer will likely differ from what he’s asked to do once the regular season begins due to Oklahoma City’s combination of depth and talent. But Topić can provide value off the bench as a rookie.

The results have been mixed for Topic so far. He played on the second night of a back-to-back, and the results were poor. He struggled to make shots once again, and after cleaning up the turnovers on Monday, he coughed it up eight times in Tuesday’s loss. There are still flashes of brilliance from Topic, so hopefully we’ll see him have some strong performances in Las Vegas.

Topic didn’t enjoy the same shooting efficiency that he did in his Summer League debut, but he was able to get to the free throw line at a decent rate. However, after turning the ball over seven times on Saturday, he was much cleaner as a playmaker against Philadelphia. He had multiple highlight passes and finishes and showcased plenty of upside, even if he missed most of his shot attempts, including all six of his shots from deep. OKC plays the Jazz on Tuesday, and it would be surprising if Topic played in the second leg of the back-to-back.

Topic tore his ACL before the 2024 draft, so this was his first time suiting up for the Thunder. It wasn’t a flawless performance, but there was a lot to like from what he did. He was impactful on both ends of the floor and was able to get to the rim to score, as well as knock down a pair of triples. The turnovers weren’t pretty, but it was truly just the first steps for a talented 19-year-old that will be just another piece for the reigning champions next season.

Topic injured his knee in May, with it being reported in early June that he was dealing with a partially torn ACL. The resulting surgery turns the 2024-25 campaign into a “redshirt” year for the 6-foot-6 guard, making him a non-factor in redraft leagues. However, Topic is worth stashing in dynasty leagues due to his playmaking ability. Even with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander being Oklahoma City’s primary building block, there’s the belief that Topic can lead the second unit once healthy.

The young Serbian guard won’t turn 19 until after the draft, which should make him appealing to the rebuilding teams searching for a player to orchestrate the offense. In 23 games this past season, he averaged 14.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.0 steal and 1.1 triples, though he shot just 30.6% from beyond the arc. His deep shot is a question mark, as is his defense, however, his playmaking and finishing ability should both be strengths for him. Topic suffered a partially torn ACL in May, which will impact his development in the short term. Topic will likely miss time during training camp, but his ceiling is too high for this injury to dramatically impact how fantasy managers should view him. Oklahoma City, the No. 1 seed in Western Conference last season, has the luxury to take a big swing on a player with a top-5 ceiling. Topic’s development could come along quicker than expected after Josh Giddey was traded to the Bulls shortly before the draft.