OCTOBER 2 • NEWSOBSERVER.COM
NIKOLA TOPIC #44 - POINT GUARD - OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER
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Nikola Topic will be on a long road to recovery during the 2024-25 season Topic is in the same situation Holmgren found himself in two years ago.
Major update on Nikola Topic finally announced Topic looks set to recover and enter the league with a point to prove, similar to Chet’s trajectory.
SEPTEMBER 27 • NEWSOBSERVER.COM
Nikola Topic seen among 'best' players in five years Nikola Topic recognized as potentially having the most upside of his entire draft class.
AUGUST 28 • STAR-TELEGRAM.COM
Thunder 1st-round pick Nikola Topic has surgery for torn ACL Oklahoma City Thunder guard Nikola Topic underwent surgery in Los Angeles to repair a torn ACL, the team announced Wednesday.Topic, who is e...
JULY 24 • NEWSOBSERVER.COM
Undergoes knee procedure Topic underwent a successful left ACL procedure Wednesday and will miss the 2024-25 season, Clemente Almanza of USA Today reports.
Impact It was previously reported that Topic would miss the entire 2024-25 season, but the Thunder will be relieved that the surgery was a success and the rookie can slowly begin his rehab process. The No. 12 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Topic will be an exciting prospect for the Thunder to develop in the coming years.
JULY 24 • ROTOWIRE
Unlikely to play for OKC in 2024-25 Thunder general manager Sam Presti said Thursday that he doesn't expect Topic (knee) to play for Oklahoma City during the upcoming season, Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman reports.
Impact Even a fully healthy Topic would have faced an uphill battle to earn meaningful minutes as a 19-year-old rookie on a deep Thunder roster, so Oklahoma City is content to view the 2024-25 season as a redshirt year for the No. 12 pick in the draft, who suffered a partial ACL tear in his left knee in late April. Per Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman, Topic said that he doesn't have a full grasp on a recovery timeline for his injury, which will likely depend on the type of surgery he undergoes on the compromised ACL. He'll first meet with the Thunder training staff before a treatment plan as well as a recovery timeline are established. Listed at 6-foot-6 with a 6-foot-11 wingspan, Topic is a big point guard who's a gifted passer but a shaky perimeter shooter, making his skill set somewhat reminiscent of Josh Giddey, whom the Thunder recently traded to the Bulls. Though he won't be a factor in the Thunder rotation during the upcoming campaign, Topic is expected to be around the team and conduct his rehab in Oklahoma City, much like 2022 No. 2 overall pick Chet Holmgren did in his first professional season while recovering from a foot injury.
JUNE 27 • ROTOWIRE
