Thunder's Nikola Topic: Unlikely to play for OKC in 2024-25

Thunder general manager Sam Presti said Thursday that he doesn't expect Topic (knee) to play for Oklahoma City during the upcoming season, Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman reports.

Even a fully healthy Topic would have faced an uphill battle to earn meaningful minutes as a 19-year-old rookie on a deep Thunder roster, so Oklahoma City is content to view the 2024-25 season as a redshirt year for the No. 12 pick in the draft, who suffered a partial ACL tear in his left knee in late April. Per Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman, Topic said that he doesn't have a full grasp on a recovery timeline for his injury, which will likely depend on the type of surgery he undergoes on the compromised ACL. He'll first meet with the Thunder training staff before a treatment plan as well as a recovery timeline are established. Listed at 6-foot-6 with a 6-foot-11 wingspan, Topic is a big point guard who's a gifted passer but a shaky perimeter shooter, making his skill set somewhat reminiscent of Josh Giddey, whom the Thunder recently traded to the Bulls. Though he won't be a factor in the Thunder rotation during the upcoming campaign, Topic is expected to be around the team and conduct his rehab in Oklahoma City, much like 2022 No. 2 overall pick Chet Holmgren did in his first professional season while recovering from a foot injury.