The Oklahoma City Thunder made the surprising decision to select Nikola Topic with the No. 12 selection of the 2024 NBA draft. While the potential is tantalizing with the 18-year-old, there’s certainly a degree of risk involved.
The 6-foot-6 guard will have a redshirt season as he recovers from a partially torn ACL he suffered in May. This means one less season to prove himself on his rookie deal.
Even before the injury, Topic was seen as a risky addition. He’s an elite playmaker who can score downhill, but his lack of an outside shot and small frame meant he’ll be a work in progress.
Topic also has a limited sample size of being a productive player. Sure, he was dominant when he played overseas, but that’s on a sample size of less than 20 games.
Nevertheless, Topic was excited to join the Thunder. He had a chance to hug his new teammate Jalen Williams — who was at the draft to support his brother Cody being drafted by the Utah Jazz with the No. 10 selection.
The 18-year-old discussed being on the Thunder and said he’s excited to meet his teammates and staff.
“Every organization that I’ve been to, I met some really nice people. That is with Oklahoma, also,” Topic said. “Very, very nice coach. GMs, everybody, I’m just excited to meet them in person and talk to them.”
The Thunder had the rare opportunity to afford patience with Topic’s recovery. They’re fresh off a first-seed finish with their young core.
Considering how deep their roster is and the amount of cap space they have, OKC didn’t necessarily need its lottery pick to be an immediate contributor. Now, it must practice patience as Topic will wait over a year before he gets a chance to suit up for the Thunder.
If everything breaks right, the Thunder took advantage of his draft stock’s plummet and could’ve added an elite playmaker with serious size. He can be a high-end starter in the long-term future.
“I’ll give 150 percent of myself for every ball, every possession, every (time on) defense,” Topic said.
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