The Oklahoma City Thunder came in after a three-year rebuild. They had the best regular season record in the Western Conference and won their first playoff series since 2016. Credit goes to Sam Presti and his management who built an incredible and durable team through the draft. Oklahoma City has a lot of stars and could add more talents this offseason.
The Thunder are rich in draft capital but only have the 12th pick in 2024. Some are clamoring for them to Trade it for a winning assist nowbut things might just go perfectly for Presti and company on draft night.
OKC could go up or down. It’s all about finding the right prospect, and they could do that by staying put after the recent injury report on one of the top projected players in this class.
The 6-foot-6 point guard has been limited to 23 games this season due to multiple knee injuries. He is currently battling a Partially torn ACL and will likely miss his entire rookie season after surgery. That will drop the top-five pick, but how far?
ESPN projected the best picks and value selections (subscription required) at every draft position. They had Topic in Oklahoma City in both categories. The scare after multiple knee injuries in the same season could force him to slide, and the Thunder could get an absolute bargain.
They should jump at the chance to select Nikola Topic. He’s arguably the best point guard and passer in this class. Josh Giddey struggled mightily in the playoffs, and Oklahoma City could use another shot creator. Topic carves up defenses with his pick-and-roll moves, and there’s optimism about his development as a 3-pointer.
Imagine if OKC had an extra option to bend the defense in their second-round series against the Mavericks. Topic could have probed the paint and created open shots, which might have been enough to tip the scales in their favor.
Oklahoma City just saw Chet Holmgren miss his entire rookie season with a foot injury before returning with a vengeance. The 22-year-old is one of the NBA’s most promising prospects, and fans are dreaming of seeing him go up against Victor Wembanyama in the future.
The Thunder could be in the same boat with Nikola Topic. They wait a year and get the best player in this class. The 6-foot-2 point guard should make an immediate impact as a point guard and has All-Star potential. He has immense potential in an uncertain class and could make 11 teams regret not drafting him, despite his knee issues.
It’s a dream scenario for Sam Presti and the Oklahoma City Thunder management, but it seems much more plausible after Topic’s injury-plagued season, which could force him to miss the entire 2024-25 campaign. The rest of the NBA will miss him, but the Thunder could end up with another bargain and a future star to complement their incredible young core.
