Mar 4, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Georgetown Hoyas forward Thomas Sorber (35) looks on after a game against the Villanova Wildcats at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Looking at OKC Thunder Player Debuts After Thomas Sorber’s Injury

Originally posted on Fastbreak on SI | By Justin Grasso | Last updated Sep 5, 2025 7:19 PM ET

Oklahoma City Thunder rookie Thomas Sorber won’t debut in 2025-2026.

Unfortunately for the first-round pick, he suffered an injury while partaking in an offseason workout on Thursday. Sorber has been working out in Oklahoma City.

Heading into the 2025 NBA Draft, Sorber was a projected first-round pick. The Thunder selected the incoming rookie after he played just one season in the NCAA.

Hailing from New Jersey and Pennsylvania, Sorber went to Georgetown as a four-star recruit.

During his lone season in college, Sorber started all but one of the 24 games he played. He averaged 31 minutes on the court, producing 14.5 points per game while shooting 53 percent from the field and 16 percent from beyond the arc.

Along with his scoring, Sorber came down with 8.5 rebounds per game and dished out 2.4 assists. He averaged two blocks per game.

Sorber was set to enter an interesting situation in OKC. With the Thunder having multiple standout players in the front court, he had a unique opportunity to learn on a team that just had championship success.

While Sorber will still gain valuable knowledge throughout the 2025-2026 NBA season, he just won’t get the chance to suit up and play. The Thunder announced that Sorber will officially tore an ACL. As a result, he will miss the entire season.

Who Will Debut for the OKC Thunder?

Since Sorber will take the season off due to recovery, the Thunder will have just two players making their debut for the team this season.

Brooks Barnhizer, the rookie guard out of Northwestern, was selected in the second round of the NBA Draft with the 44th overall pick.

Over the past four years, Barnhizer appeared in 96 games for Northwestern. He averaged 11 points, 6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists. He knocked down 31 percent of his threes and averaged 42 percent from the field. The second-round pick will split time between the NBA and the G League, as he’s on a two-way contract.

Although Nikola Topic wasn’t drafted this year, the 12th overall pick of the 2024 NBA Draft will be making his rookie debut this season. Similar to Sorber, Topic tore his ACL during offseason work. He spent the entire season spectating the Thunder’s game, watching them cruise to a championship.

Now, Topic will compete for an opportunity to crack OKC's rotation during their title defense in 2025-2026.