The decision to draft injured prospect Nikola Topic with the No. 12 overall pick in June’s NBA Draft prompted mixed reactions around the league. The 19-year-old point guard was once touted as a lock for the top five before multiple knee injuries dropped his stock significantly.
Teams have historically shied away from drafting injured players, especially those on the cusp of championship contention. However, the Thunder feel confident in their newly implemented blueprint.
While they wait for their hopeful future star to return, the Blue and Orange have the talent and pieces to contend for a championship. Once Topic returns, the plan is likely to have him slide into the vacant backup point guard spot to serve as the secondary playmaker behind superstar guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
The update on Topic
The Serbian star suffered a partially torn ACL just weeks before the 2024 NBA Draft, a huge blow and also an untimely one. However, Nikola’s confidence had to have been instantly shot back up after hearing his name called in the lottery — especially by a team that has a recent history working with Chet Holmgren — OKC’s No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, who suffered a foot injury before his rookie season…