Topic has been diagnosed with testicular cancer, Thunder general manager Sam Presti announced Thursday, Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman reports.
According to Presti, his doctors are "extremely positive" about his long-term outlook, but this is obviously an unfortunate situation for the young guard. There is no timetable for Topic's return, but the Thunder will likely provide more clarity in the near future. Ajay Mitchell has been filling in as Oklahoma City's backup point guard to open the season.
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Thunder's Nikola Topic: Option picked up
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Topic (groin) had his $5.43 million team option exercised for the 2026-27 season Sunday.
Topic remains out indefinitely while recovering from testicular surgery, but the Thunder view him as a long-term piece and exercised his $5.43 million option for next season. The 2024 first-round pick missed all of last year recovering from a torn ACL but flashed promise during 2025 Summer League action.
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Thunder's Nikola Topic: Out for at least four weeks
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Topic will be re-evaluated in 4-to-6 weeks after undergoing testicular surgery Monday, Brandon Rahbar of DailyThunder.com reports.
Topic missed the entire 2024-25 season with a torn ACL, and now the start of his 2025-26 campaign will be delayed. He was in the running to be Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's top backup at point guard, so Ajay Mitchell, Cason Wallace and Alex Caruso will all be tasked to help pick up the slack in the backcourt while Topic is out of action.
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Thunder's Nikola Topic: Fares well in start
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Topic logged 10 points (4-9 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 2-2 FT), seven assists, four rebounds and one steal in 31 minutes of Sunday's 135-114 preseason win over the Hornets.
With the Thunder resting their starters to open the preseason, Topic started at point guard and fared really well. Topic missed the entire 2024-25 season with a torn ACL, so the fact that he was able to log 31 minutes Sunday suggests that the Thunder feel confident in his recovery. Topic is the favorite to back up Shai Gilgeous-Alexander this season.
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Thunder's Nikola Topic: Takes seat vs. New Orleans
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Topic (rest) didn't play in Wednesday's 95-81 Summer League win over the Pelicans.
Topic entered Wednesday with five Summer League outings under his belt this year, so it's possible the Thunder wanted to give him the night off. While the 2024 first-rounder doesn't appear likely to handle a significant role for the defending-champion Thunder to begin the 2025-26 season, Topic has flashed some two-way ability with averages of 10.8 points, 5.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game over his five appearances this summer.
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Thunder's Nikola Topic: Progressing in Summer League
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Topic recorded 18 points (7-18 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 2-2 FT), six assists, four rebounds and one steal across 30 minutes in Thursday's 90-81 Summer League win over the Nets.
Topic found more of a rhythm Thursday, knocking down a pair of threes after struggling with his shot earlier in Summer League play, shooting a combined 5-for-25 from the field and 0-for-11 from three over games Monday and Tuesday. The Thunder appear committed to giving the young guard extended run this summer as they assess the kind of role he might carve out within the team's rotation for the 2025-26 season.
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Thunder's Nikola Topic: Debuts in Salt Lake City
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Topic (knee) recorded 14 points (6-11 FG, 2-4 3Pt), four assists, two steals and one rebound across 26 minutes of Saturday's 92-80 loss to the Grizzlies in the Salt Lake City Summer League.
The No. 12 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Topic didn't play for the Thunder this past season while completing his recovery from the surgery he underwent last July to repair a torn ACL. Topic was given a clean bill of health ahead of the start of the Salt Lake City Summer League, and the 19-year-old looks like he'll be given the keys to the Oklahoma City offense throughout the summer slate. The 6-foot-6 guard showcased some intriguing playmaking skills in his debut Saturday, though he committed seven turnovers in that contest. If Topic can clean up the mistakes and prove that he can effectively direct the offense over the remainder of the summer and during training camp, he could open his rookie season as the top backup to reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
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Thunder's Nikola Topic: Unlikely to play for OKC in 2024-25
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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.
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.
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Thunder's Nikola Topic: Goes 12th overall to Thunder
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Topic (knee) was selected by the Thunder with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
While the Thunder, who owned the Rockets' pick, had a chance to add an instant-impact player, they instead opted to add a future piece in Topic. The 18-year-old out of Serbia is one of the more intriguing guards in the draft, possessing excellent scoring and playmaking ability at 6-foot-6. However, he's recovering from a partially torn ACL in his left knee, and his availability for the upcoming season is uncertain. Even if he's cleared to play at some point in 2024-25, the Thunder view Topic as a developmental player, so he's unlikely to make much of an impact in Year 1 for one of the best rosters in the Western Conference.
