Nikola Topić

January 12, 2025

Resumes on-court work

Topic (knee) was spotted taking part in light shooting drills on the court prior to the Thunder's 105-92 win over the Celtics last Sunday, Clemente Almanza of USA Today reports.

Analysis

Almanza notes that the 19-year-old hadn't been involved in warmups in any of the Thunder's first 34 games of the season, so Topic seemingly took the first notable step forward in his recovery from the partially torn ACL he suffered last May. With the expectation that the knee surgery would keep him sidelined for the entire 2024-25 season, Topic's stock in the 2024 NBA Draft plummeted before the Thunder nabbed him with the No. 12 overall pick. Topic remains on track to miss the entire season, but assuming he avoids further setbacks with his knee while ramping up over the next few months, he could be ready to play in the Las Vegas Summer League. The 6-foot-6 guard offers intriguing playmaking upside and could end up being one of the better long-term assets in his draft class, despite effectively taking a redshirt this season.