Nikola Topic Injury News & Updates

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.

Topic (groin) had his 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.

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.

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.

Topic will start in Sunday's preseason game against the Hornets, James Plowright of CLTure.org reports.

With the team resting its usual starters, Topic will get the starting nod in Oklahoma City's preseason opener. The 20-year-old missed the entire 2024-25 campaign due to a torn ACL, but he has a chance to carve out a meaningful role off the bench this season.

Topic (rest) did not appear in Saturday's 109-80 Summer League loss to the Hornets.

Topic ended up missing the Thunder's final two Summer League games after seeing significant minutes earlier in the stretch. The guard missed the entire 2024-25 season while recovering from a torn ACL and will aim to carve out a role as a reserve in 2025-26.

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.

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, including 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.

Topic totaled 11 points (2-13 FG, 0-6 3Pt, 7-8 FT), five assists, three rebounds and three steals across 28 minutes in Monday's 89-78 Summer League win over the 76ers.

Topic was active in Monday's win, struggling from the field -- including an 0-for-6 mark from three -- but flashing his playmaking ability with five assists and three steals. The guard was selected No. 12 overall by the Thunder in the 2024 NBA Draft but has yet to make his regular-season NBA debut after spending the 2024-25 season rehabbing a torn ACL. Viewed as a versatile prospect with intriguing upside as a playmaker, the team hopes Topic can find his rhythm in Summer League and earn a role in the rotation for the 2025 season and beyond.

Topic recorded 14 points (6-11 FG, 2-4 3Pt) with four assists, one rebound, two steals and seven turnovers across 26 minutes of Saturday's 92-80 Summer League loss to the Grizzlies.

Topic, who missed the entire 2024-25 season recovering from a partially torn ACL, started this contest for his first live action in a Thunder uniform. Selected with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2024 Draft, Topic slid on draft night because of his health, and now he's looking to reward the Thunder for their patience. The 6-foot-6 guard has intriguing playmaking skills, but the Thunder will bring him along slowly. When you factor in Oklahoma's deep rotation as well, it's wise to temper expectations in his true rookie season.

Topic (knee) was spotted taking part in light shooting drills on the court prior to the Thunder's 105-92 loss to the Celtics last Sunday, Clemente Almanza of USA Today reports.

Almanza notes that the 19-year-old hadn't been involved in warmups in any of the Thunder's first 34 games of the season, so Topic seemingly took the first notable step forward in his recovery from the partially torn ACL he suffered last May. With the expectation that the knee surgery would keep him sidelined for the entire 2024-25 season, Topic's stock in the 2024 NBA Draft plummeted before the Thunder nabbed him with the No. 12 overall pick. Topic remains on track to miss the entire season, but assuming he avoids further setbacks with his knee while ramping up over the next few months, he could be ready to play in the Las Vegas Summer League. The 6-foot-6 guard offers intriguing playmaking upside and could end up being one of the better long-term assets in his draft class, despite effectively taking a redshirt this season.

Topic underwent a successful left ACL procedure Wednesday and will miss the 2024-25 season, Clemente Almanza of USA Today reports.

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.

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 Ci

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.