THE Oklahoma City Thunder Serbian guard selected Nikola Theme with the 12th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft Wednesday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
The 6-foot-5, 201-pound Serbian point guard has a 6-foot-5 wingspan and averaged 28.4 minutes, 15.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, 5.9 assists and one steal in 18 games with the Adriatic League in 2023-24. Topic shot 50.7 percent from the floor, 28.6 percent from the 3-point line and 87 percent from the free throw line.
The guard suffered a partially torn ACL in his left knee in April, but is considered one of the best passers this year. NBA Draft ClassThe topic will likely be a draft pick and redshirt for the Thunder.
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Nikola Topic has had success in Euroleague
The 18-year-old goalkeeper from Novi Sad in Siberia has played 27 games in three seasons in the Adriatic League.
After playing just nine games from 2021-23, Nikola Topic doubled that total in the 2023-24 season. In his third year with the league, he shot 98-of-194 and averaged 15.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game.
Topic, who played 13 games with Mega before finishing the season with Crvena zvezda, was eighth in the Adriatic League in points scored, fifth in assists and scored 20 or more points in eight games.
He won the Adriatic League’s Most Outstanding Prospect award last season and helped Crvena zvezda, with whom he made his professional debut at 16, win the league title. Topic was also voted MVP of the 2023 FIBA U18 European Championship after leading Serbia to the gold medal.
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Nikola Topic will have to recover from an injury
Prior to his injury, Topic was projected to be a top-five pick in the 2024 NBA draft.
Topic injured his left knee in January but was able to return to play in the spring. However, he reinjured the same knee in April, later announcing that it was a partially torn ACL.
The guard is not expected to play this upcoming season as he recovers from his injury, but he could potentially play his first game for the Thunder in the 2025-26 NBA Summer League or the regular season.
For Topic, the draft and redshirt season is similar to what OKC decided to do with current Thunder forward Chet Holmgren after drafting him two seasons ago.
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Nikola Topic struggled to shoot three-pointers but is an excellent passer
Topic struggled to shoot three-pointers.
In his first two years in the Adriatic League, the guard only shot once from the three-point line. However, he made 21 of 71 shots in the 2023-24 season.
Despite his drop-off in shooting, Topic, who was considered one of the best passers in this year’s draft and ranked fifth in the Adriatic League in assists with 5.9 per game.
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Nikola Topic drops to 12th place in Thunder
The Thunder have had success with the 12th overall pick in the NBA Draft.
Last season, OKC acquired Carson Wallace with the 12th pick and the same for Jalen Williams in 2022. It also acquired Steven Adams in 2013 with the 12th pick and Nick Collison in 2003.
Not only does Topic have ties to the Thunder with his draft spot, but he also shares a similarity with former OKC first-round pick Aleksej Pokusevski who also hails from Novi Sad, Siberia.
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Nikola Topic’s talent is a family affair
Basketball runs through Nikola Topic’s veins.
His father Milenko Topic is a head coach of the Serbian League and won the gold medal for Yugoslavia at the 1998 FIBA World Cup and the silver medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics.
Topic could potentially be OKC’s only pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. The second round will take place at 3 p.m. Thursday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
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