In the 2024 NBA Draft, Taylor Rooks talks with No. 12 pick Nikola Topic about how he might fit in with the Thunder.
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The Thunder entered the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft with choice #12. Before the start of the second round, they exchange away Lindy Waters III to Golden State for the No. 52 pick in the draft. This choice Ultimately returned to Golden State in other trades.
Choice #12: Nikola Topic
Originally from Novi Sad, Serbia, Topic joined Red Star’s youth system in 2020 and was the youngest player to score a point for the team in the EuroLeague in 2022 when he was just 16 years old . He started the 2023-24 season playing for Mega MIS in the Adriatic league before returning to Crvena Zvezda, where he suffered a knee injury.
Topic returned to action in late April and is expected to be 100 percent healthy for the NBA Summer League. Between the two teams, Topic averaged 15.9 points, 5.9 assists and 3.5 rebounds over 20 total appearances.
At 6-foot-6, Topic is a big guard who can get where he wants and makes the right play more often than not. He has excellent pace when driving to the basket, can finish with either hand, and is a great distributor who looks like a veteran with the ball in his hands.
Topic looked confident shooting from the top of the key when opponents were playing drop coverage in pick-and-rolls, but his 3-point shooting needs to improve as he only shot 30% from deep in 2023-24. His size suggests he can become a slender defender capable of disrupting passing lanes, but he needs to put on weight to become a capable one-on-one defender in the NBA. — RotoWire. Go further.
Pick #26: Dillon Jones
Jones started in all but two competitions in his final three years with the Wildcats. His numbers improved with each season, ultimately posting career-best numbers in points (20.8), assists (5.2) and steals (2.0) per game during the 2023-24 campaign. Jones also led the Big Sky Conference in total points, defensive rebounds and assists per game in 2023-24, and he was named to the All-Big Sky 1st team in his final two seasons. He was also named the 2023-24 Big Sky Player of the Year.
There are questions about whether Jones will end up as a shooting guard or a small forward at the next level, and there’s a chance his physical development could lean him one way or the other. He possesses enough power, strength and toughness to defend attackers at the next level, although he also has enough lateral quickness to handle smaller guards if necessary. — RotoWire. Go further.
Pick #38: Ajay Mitchell
Mitchell is the son of a former professional basketball player, and it shows in the way he approaches the game, especially in his awareness when he doesn’t have the ball in his hands. Mitchell has a strong frame at 6-foot-3 and has continued to add strength to his body, so he has the perfect size to defend guards at the next level. His lateral quickness isn’t great, which he makes up for with above-average awareness and defensive instincts.
He needs to work on his shot, as he has struggled with his mechanics and release time. But even if his shooting doesn’t improve drastically, he has the size and speed to be an effective cutter who can finish near the rim. Mitchell has the potential to be a solid mid-range scorer. — RotoWire. Go further.
