ESPN insider reveals honest projection for Thunder guard Nikola Topić
After missing all of last season with a knee injury, guard Nikola Topić has impressed in a limited sample size in summer league with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Topić debuted in the Salt Lake City Summer League earlier this month, averaging 10.7 points, 4.3 assists, three rebounds and two steals in three appearances. He is posting a similar average through three games in Las Vegas, Nevada: 11 points, 7.3 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals.
The 12th pick in the 2024 NBA draft was highly touted out of Crvena zvezda in the ABA League. He may have been projected to be selected even higher had he come out this year, a scout recently told ESPN front office insider Bobby Marks.
"This was after the Utah Summer League ... I had a scout tell me (Topić) would have been a top-five pick in this year's draft," Marks recalled Tuesday on ESPN.
Topić was sidelined after undergoing surgery to repair a torn left ACL suffered while playing in the ABA League Finals on May 13, 2024. He made steady progress throughout the year with the team medical staff and was cleared to debut with the Thunder in Utah.
The 19-year-old was the 2024 ABA League Top Prospect, averaging 15.1 points, 5.9 assists and 3.2 rebounds on 50.5% shooting from the field. He joined the likes of Nikola Jokić, Goga Bitadze and Nikola Jović as past award recipients.
The Thunder appear to have identified another player who can contribute in the rotation for coach Mark Daigneault. The organization has been successful in the draft and seems to have secured its core long-term after claiming its first championship.
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