The Oklahoma City Thunder took a swing for the fences with the addition of Nikola Topic, who they drafted with the No. 12 pick of the 2024 NBA draft.
It’ll be a while before it’s known if it was a homer or a foul ball.
The 18-year-old was regarded as one of the best playmakers of the class. He’s a passing savant who dominated overseas, which helped him be a highly-touted prospect.
A partially torn ACL in May plummeted his draft stock. He will be a redshirt and miss all next season as he recovers. Even when he was healthy, a lack of an outside shot and a skinny frame made him a risky selection.
The international prospect has passing chops but must work on his jumper to hit his ceiling as an abnormally large facilitator guard at 6-foot-6. Does that sound familiar to Thunder fans? If it does, it’s within good reason.
Josh Giddey had a similar archetype when he joined OKC in 2021. He only lasted three seasons with the Thunder before he was shipped to the Chicago Bulls last week.
The 21-year-old never developed a proper outside shot, which was a problem this past season. He had his worst career season as opposing defenses dared him to shoot.
The Thunder now get a redo with Topic, who’s projected to be a better driver and finisher around the rim than Giddey was. Despite the similarities, Sam Presti said it’s an unfair comparison.
“I wouldn’t compare him specifically to Josh or any other player in that way,” Presti said. “But like I said earlier, guys that are big for their position, that process the game well, those guys are play pretty much all over the floor, in different combinations.
“So we value those skill sets probably more than trying to, like, replicate a specific role or anything like that.”
Presti discussed how players like Topic, who can move the ball at an elite rate, are valued commodities. The Thunder’s 5-out offense is a perfect scheme for players who can find small passing pockets to their teammates.
“I do think those guys — I don’t think you can have enough people that can make decisions on the court,” Presti said. “And when you combine that with size, it definitely increases the effectiveness or the probabilities of those decisions being good.”
The best-case scenario with Topic is certainly appealing. In an ideal scenario, he joins Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as a backcourt partner and can help set his teammates up with quality looks. The shot will likely make or break this pick.
But for now, Topic must turn his focus on his knee rehab. He must fully recover before he can daydream about his fit with the Thunder. It’ll be a while before the fruits of his labor are enjoyed, but OKC affords him the patience to rehab in the background of a title contender.
