For years, Oklahoma City picks and prospects have been the talk of the NBA trade market. It was always clear that the Thunder could blow any team out of the water with a trade offer, the sponsor offer, if ever necessary. But years of tireless debate and roster fit questions led to nothing, as Oklahoma City never needed a game-changing addition via trade after all.
The Thunder won a championship thanks mainly to their inner core developed over the last three years. Of course, Isaiah Hartenstein And Alex Caruso pushed the team over the top, but it was never a blockbuster trade that was needed. The Thunder blazed a rare path and it earned them the first NBA championship trophy in franchise history.
Today, Oklahoma City is in a unique place. The roster is intact and all signs point to this team trying to return for a second straight championship. There aren’t many questions before the season. But with the CBA and Oklahoma City’s suddenly expensive roster, the questions turn to the future.
In the latest Bleacher Report articleA surprising addition from Thunder has been listed currently in a ranking of the best NBA trading chips. Topic Nikola has yet to play a regular season game for the Thunder, but he is still coveted around the league.
“Nikola Topić hasn’t logged a second of regular season action since the Thunder made him the 12th overall pick in the 2024 draft,” Zach Buckley wrote. “And in a weird way, maybe that’s a good thing for building his plot on the trading block.”
“Since his career as a potential rookie was erased by an ACL injury, he’s had an obvious mystery box look. Rival front offices can focus entirely on his ceiling (and it’s a imposing a) without any obvious reason on the ground to be concerned about its ability to achieve it.
While his game is certainly still largely unknown, the Summer League must have raised his value. The subject matter sounded like the lottery pick it was advertised for with skills you can’t teach.
“And if you look only at the positives of Topić, there are some truly mind-blowing things,” Buckley wrote. “He’s a 6’6” senior playmaker who knows how to consistently create advantages for himself and his teammates at 19 years old. He could become the best player in his draft class, and that’s how the Thunder should try to market him if they find it necessary to go all-in.
The thing about these special skills that Topic possesses is that they are a perfect fit for Oklahoma City’s system. It was easy to watch the Thunder’s summer league team play and see where Topic would fit into the team’s scheme on both ends of the court. He’s a connector, a true ball handler and loves to run the pick-and-roll – which is exactly what this Thunder team could use.
He would certainly be a valuable trade piece for many teams around the league, but what if Oklahoma City just doesn’t have to trade him. Having weathered a trove of assets and built internally, the Thunder’s direction was clear from the start. Now that they have a title under their belt, it would be a surprise to see things change dramatically now.
