NBA scout believes Nikola Topic would've been a top-5 pick in 2025 NBA draft
After his redshirt season, Nikola Topic finally played for the Thunder. The 19-year-old missed his first year recovering from a partially torn ACL. That dropped him to the No. 12 spot of the 2024 NBA draft. He became the first player in NBA history to win a ring before he logged a stat.
Topic hopes to be more than an answer to a fun trivia question, though. He could fix the Thunder's backup point guard woes that slowed the offense down when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was off the floor. It almost cost them an NBA championship, but just because you won it, doesn't mean you can't improve spots on your roster.
Through six Summer League games, Topic has shown promise. He had a slow start that was expected after he was out for over a year. But the more miles he adds to his legs, the more comfortable he looks. The playmaking potential has shown with wild reads that only gifted passers can make.
ESPN's Bobby Marks recently joined a Summer League broadcast and talked about Topic. While in Salt Lake City, the NBA expert revealed an interesting anecdote he had with an NBA scout about Topic and his hypothetical fit in this year's draft class.
"This was after the Utah Summer League, I talked to a scout and I asked him if Topic was in this year's draft, where would he go," Marks said. "... I had a scout tell me he would've been a top-five pick in this year's draft."
Oh, boy. That's exciting to hear if you're the Thunder. For reference, the top-five picks were Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, VJ Edgecombe, Kon Knueppel and Ace Bailey. Just the latest example of how they can keep their title window open longer than most. They were gifted Topic from the Houston Rockets. Just like they were with Thomas Sorber from the Miami Heat.
Those types of scenarios aren't slowing down, either. The rest of the 2020s could see other NBA franchises give the Thunder their high first-round picks because of deals they made five years ago. That's how you build a sustainable contender.
Bobby Marks on Nikola Topic: "I had a scout tell me that he would have been a top 5 pick in this year's draft"pic.twitter.com/nc37uh7Zc4
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