Should OKC Thunder Guard be Deemed ‘Interesting Sophomore’ by ESPN?

The Oklahoma City Thunder have a championship roster, an inarguable fact after racing to an NBA Finals win over Indiana a short time ago.

Even still, they have more talent on the way in the form of guard Nikola Topic, and rookies like Thomas Sorber and Brooks Barnhizer.

Selected at No. 12 in the 2024 NBA Draft, Topic was once thought of to be one of the top players in his class, but suffered a knee injury that caused his stock to plummet from the top-five to late-lottery. Still, that allowed the ever-patient Thunder to grab him, with ample time to let him rehabilitate.

Now, with Summer League done, Topic’s next benchmark will be officially taking the floor alongside his Thunder counterparts. ESPN recently deemed him one of the top sophomore candidates to watch next season. But is that the case?

Most simply, yes. At around 6-foot-5, Topic has premier feel for the game and some of the best passing ability in the world. That was apparent in his tape with Mega in the ABA, but also his second-best 7.3 assists per game in Summer League. He's technically a sophomore — having earned an NBA championship without taking the floor — though he'll be classified as a rookie next season.

“Sheer curiosity,” ESPN’s Jeremy Woo said of why Topic came in at No. 10 on the list. “It's a valid question how much of a role Topic will even have to start the season, considering Oklahoma City's overwhelming backcourt depth.”

“But he flashed moments of his potential at summer league, showcasing his playmaking skills and basketball IQ, and that skill set could help him carve out some backup minutes behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.”

Woo's line of thinking is more than valid. Topic offers somewhat of a mystery box in terms of talent for Oklahoma City. While he was originally looked at as a developmental project for teams, his visible feel could carry him to legitimate point guard impact. Some decision-makers even fancied him a steal of the draft, as was shown in the 2024-25 General Manager's survey.

Oklahoma City's championship-level rotation is really the only thing standing between Topic and real NBA minutes. The team retained its entire winning core, and added even more talent at the '25 draft. But head coach Mark Daigneault has an affinity for reaching deep into the depth chart, and Topic could certainly offer the team needed play-making as a backup guard.