It’s never too early to start looking ahead to the NBA, especially in the middle of the offseason. Just a few weeks ago, the Oklahoma City Thunder used the 12th pick in the 2024 NBA draft to sign point guard Nikola Topic.
That selection was questioned several times at the time, as Topic is expected to miss the entire 2024-25 campaign with a partially torn ACL, his second knee injury this season. Still, when healthy, Topic is one of the most talented members of the 2024 class.
If any team is equipped to handle a redshirt season, it’s the Thunder — not only is their depth strong enough to not need that roster spot, but the organization just successfully completed that process with Chet Holmgren returning to the court better than ever after sitting out the entire 2022-23 season.
While it was a puzzling move by the Thunder at the time, who were loaded with quality guards, simple patience would reveal why Sam Presti and company made this move.
It would make sense for the OKC Thunder to consider the 18-year-old as a backup point guard to lead the team’s secondary as a team that could have used an extra board down the stretch of last season.
Just days after the 2024 NBA Draft, the Oklahoma City Thunder signed Isaiah Hartenstein to the biggest contract in team history, landing their only big man on the open market as a franchise. Adding him to the offensive line rotation will not only make the Thunder a legitimate contender this season, but it will also make it easier for Topic to fit in.
Now, when the young point guard returns to the court, paired with a high-level pick-and-roll partner that the Thunder bench didn’t have when the pick was handed out in the late June draft.
In addition to the complementary player at the bottom of the board, the rookie will potentially benefit from a ready-made roster that should offer some of the most stability in the league. With a consistent role to develop into, this should be a good progression plan for the lottery pick.
Ideally, Topic will be a playmaker who can become a scorer both with the ball and potentially away from it, thanks to some of his encouraging shooting prowess. While he’ll likely never be a top-tier defender, surrounded by Oklahoma City’s roster, they should be able to protect him on that end of the floor.
While no one knows exactly what the future holds, the Thunder’s use of their lottery picks looks much better now than it did even on draft night, with the ripple effects of their offseason.
Want to join the discussion? Like Thunder on SI on Facebook and Follow us on twitter to stay up to date with all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the cover.
