There aren’t many questions regarding the Oklahoma City Thunder’s roster heading into the 2025-2026 campaign.
After winning 68 regular season games in 2024-25 and beating the Indiana Pacers to win OKC’s first NBA title, the Thunder return most of last year’s roster and should have another impressive performance.
Aside from Dillon Jones, who was traded to the Washington Wizards this offseason, Sam Presti has kept the team’s 2024-25 roster intact, which should make Oklahoma City a threat to win another championship.
After winning a title, OKC has little incentive to make drastic changes to the team’s rotation, but with former lottery pick Nikola Topic fully healthy for the first time since being drafted in 2024, Mark Daigneault and company will likely attempt to incorporate the rookie guard into OKC’s lineup.
Topic is a good passer who had a strong performance overseas before the draft and looked solid in his NBA Summer League debut in July.
A torn ACL ruled Topic out of the 2024-25 campaign, but this season the 6-foot-6 guard will be available for OKC. However, with a talented roster and a team with championship aspirations, Topic will need to fight for consistent minutes on the court.
Alongside the Serbian guard, the Thunder will likely try to find more minutes for compatriot Ajay Mitchell, who impressed in his rookie season before suffering a toe injury.
Mitchell, Cason Wallace, Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe could all be obstacles to Topic earning a regular spot in OKC’s rotation. Wallace, Wiggins, Joe and even Mitchell to some extent have already proven their worth to the Thunder and should have a place in Oklahoma City’s rotation.
Topic, however, will need to prove he deserves minutes instead of the aforementioned players to break down the Thunder’s rotation.
If Topic can’t get on the field as a rookie, there’s a chance Presti and company opt to trade the former No. 12 overall pick. Jones, another former first-round pick, was traded after just one season, and the Thunder have several first-round picks in the upcoming draft.
With a handful of talented guards in the 2026 NBA Draft class, Oklahoma City could find a player to replace Topic if the 20-year-old doesn’t show enough encouraging flashes in 2025-26.
However, over the course of a long regular season, Topic should have plenty of opportunities to showcase his talents.
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