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Thunder rookie Nikola Topic has undergone successful surgery to address his torn left ACL, the team announced Wednesday (h/t HoopsHype's Michael Scotto).
According to Thunder, the procedure was performed in Los Angeles by Dr. Neal ElAttrache, with team medical personnel in attendance. As expected, Topic is projected to miss the entire 2024-25 season, postponing his NBA debut until the fall of 2025.
Word initially broke in early June that Topic had suffered a partially torn ACL, so the Thunder weren’t caught off guard by the need for surgery when they drafted the Serbian point guard with the No. 12 overall pick a few weeks later. Head of basketball operations Sam Presti confirmed when speaking to reporters following the first round of the draft that Oklahoma City expected the lottery pick to be unavailable for all of 2024-25.
Topic will be the second Thunder lottery pick in the past three years to essentially get a redshirt season. Chet Holmgren, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 draft, suffered a foot injury later that summer that cost him all of 2022-23.
Topic is still expected to join the Thunder shortly and spend his rookie season around the team like Holmgren did two years ago. That experience benefited Holmgren, who finished second in Rookie of the Year voting this spring after averaging 16.5 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per contest while starting all 82 games for the Thunder.
Topic will earn a $4.9M salary in 2024-25 while he recovers from ACL surgery. He has a guaranteed salary of $5.2M in 2025-26, followed by team options of $5.4M and $7.5M in his third and fourth seasons.
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NBA Analyst Believes Former League MVP Would 'Flourish' With Knicks Amid Free Agency Rumors
The New York Knicks entered the offseason looking to make some small upgrades to their roster as they try to build of their run to the Eastern Conference Finals last season. Of course, the Knicks are set to bring back their core of Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges next season but one area they needed to improve was their bench. That is exactly what the Knicks focused on during free agency as they signed Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele, filling two key holes in their second unit. After signing both Yabusele and Clarkson, New York still does have one more roster space open and they have been linked to many players. Rachel Nichols believes Knicks should sign Russell Westbrook Two player who have garnered the most attention from the Knicks are Ben Simmons and Russell Westbrook and NBA analyst Rachel Nichols believes that Westbrook would “flourish” in New York. “That’s a team that needs a guy like him. That actually has a slot for a guy like him. I think he would flourish in New York,” Nichols said on the Open Floor podcast. “I think New York fans would love him, and I think he would be able to fill that sort of vet energy role really well.” Nichols does make a great point about Westbrook being a solid fit in New York off the bench as the backup point guard behind Brunson. Of course, Westbrook revitalized his NBA career last season with the Denver Nuggets as he proved that he could still be a key piece both off the bench and in the starting lineup on a contending team. Last season, the former MVP averaged 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 44.9% from the field and 32.3% from three. For the Knicks, adding Westbrook to their roster would give them another great scorer and playmaker off the bench and would allow Miles McBride to slot in as the backup shooting guard with Clarkson being a forward. By signing Westbrook, the Knicks would be able to upgrade their bench even more this offseason and with the East being weakened due to injuries, New York could be the team to beat next season in the conference.
Chargers star's brutal injury shows why players should hold out with new contracts on line
Los Angeles Chargers offensive tackle Rashawn Slater was carted off the practice field on Thursday afternoon with what turned out to be a significant injury. According to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, the two-time Pro Bowler suffered a season-ending knee injury. It's a massive blow to the team's offensive line and offense as a whole. It also serves as a harsh reminder as to why players will always — and should always — act on the side of caution when it comes to participating in training camp when they are seeking a new contract. In Slater's case, he's a lucky one because he just agreed to a new four-year, $114 million contract extension with $92 million in guarantees days before the injury happened. That contract was signed after he did not participate in some of the team's early training-camp practice sessions. If Slater had participated early on and had this injury happen before he was able to get his new deal signed, it would have been a devastating blow in his quest to get that pay day. Not only would the Chargers have had no incentive to pay him this season, but there is no guarantee he would have ever received that sort of contract in the future. Fans might not like the idea of a hold-out or hold-in, but you have to look at it from the perspective of the player. They have a very limited time to earn top dollar in the NFL, and there are never any guarantees. The hold-out/hold-in approach is not only a way to put pressure on the team to pay them, but it's also a matter of self-preservation. Football is a violent game. It's a physical game. It's a collision game. Injuries are always going to be a part of that. But injuries happen with much greater frequency early in the season, and especially in training camp, due to the fact that players are still working their way back into game shape and going through more intense and physical practices than they do at any point during the season. It's a dangerous time for them in terms of injuries, and that should not be overlooked when it comes to contract talks. Players have short careers and even less time to set themselves up financially. They should not be willing to take unnecessary risks when it comes to their earning power. The Slater situation shows just how delicate all of it is.
Carlos Alcaraz Sends Huge Warning to the Rest of the Tour Regarding his Rivalry with Jannik Sinner
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are set to compete in their first event after the Wimbledon final last month, where Sinner dethroned the two time-defending champion Alcaraz. While Sinner outplayed Alcaraz on his best surface, it’s now time to see if the Spaniard can outplay him on the Italian’s beloved hard court. After both withdrew from the Masters 1000 tournament in Toronto, they will commence their North American hard-court swing with the Cincinnati Open. Sinner enters the tournament as the defending champion, while Alcaraz enters as the second seed with just 10 points to defend. Alcaraz has reached the final of the Cincinnati Open once back in 2023, where he lost to Novak Djokovic in straight sets. Clocking 3 hours and 49 minutes, this marked the longest best-of-three-sets match at an ATP Tour final and the longest match in the tournament’s history. Speaking at the press conference ahead of his Cincinnati campaign, Alcaraz touched upon his rivalry with Sinner. Both of us have achieved very important things in a very short time, and I am very happy to see the rivalry we are building. I think we have years ahead to continue doing so. Let’s allow people to talk about us; I don’t think too much about it, we’ll see how far we go. Alcaraz has an 8-5 head-to-head record over Sinner, with a 5-2 record over the Italian ace on hard court. Their rivalry has opened a new chapter in the post-Big 3 era in tennis, and redefined the sport. The youngsters dominated the ATP tour, with the duopoly claiming the last seven Grand Slam titles. Moreover, Sinner is only 23 and Alcaraz, 22. Beyond their fierce on-court battles, they’re also known for their respectful and friendly attitude towards each other off the court. Carlos Alcaraz on losing the Wimbledon final Furthermore, at the press conference, Carlos Alcaraz was also asked about how he felt losing a Grand Slam final for the first time. Prior to the Wimbledon final, he had won all five of the Grand Slam finals he had been a part of. At Wimbledon this year, Alcaraz was aiming for a unique feat. He was looking to complete an elusive three peat and a second Channel Slam. However, things turned out differently this time. Losing a Grand Slam final was a new situation for me, but one must be prepared for that. Obviously, I didn’t want it to happen ever, but I left the court proud and happy, smiling at the thought that at some point it had to happen because it has happened to all the tennis players in history. It took me a few hours to overcome the defeat, knowing that I have many things to improve. I could only feel grateful for having lived a Wimbledon final; I left proud of what I did. Despite losing the match Alcaraz was happy and cheerfully congratulated Jannik Sinner on the victory. It was a shift from what was seen at the Paris Olympics final last year, where Alcaraz become very emotional and cried upon losing the final. This year the Spaniard has shown much maturity on how he looks at defeat. In Cincinnati, Sinner will face either Daniel Elahi Galan or Vit Kopriva in his opening round, while Alcaraz will face Mattia Bellucci or Damir Dzumhur in his opening round. Further ahead, Sinner will also be looking to defend his US Open title, becoming the second person this century after Roger Federer to do so. Federer won five consecutive US Open titles from 2004 to 2008.
5 Takeaways from Seahawks preseason-opening tie vs. Raiders
Undrafted rookie edge rusher Jalan Gaines blocked Las Vegas Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson’s would-be game-winning field goal with no time on the clock and the Seattle Seahawks tied with the Raiders, 23-23, in the preseason opener on Thursday, Aug. 7, at Lumen Field. The Seahawks denied Pete Carroll and co. a win in his first return to Seattle as an opponent, and head coach Mike Macdonald’s defense looked stellar in the first half with two turnovers and a 16-3 halftime lead. Here’s what we learned from Seattle’s first game action of the 2025 season against the Raiders. Robbie Ouzts can really play fullback Rookie fifth-round fullback Robbie Ouzts was the star of the show early on for the Seahawks’ offense. Not only did he come out of the backfield for a 17-yard reception in the first quarter, but Ouzts also showed his ability to seal the edge as a lead blocker to fuel the run game. With 5:44 left in the first quarter, Ouzts spurred a 24-yard touchdown run by George Holani by squarely picking up the edge rusher out of the backfield. Holani was able to get to the outside and outrun the crashing linebacker — doing the rest of the work with his speed. Ouzts, however, made the entire play function. He made multiple other impressive plays as a blocker throughout the night. Ouzts could be a star in Klint Kubiak’s system. Speaking of Holani The second-year former undrafted free agent out of Boise State looked like a polished rusher, totaling seven carries for 61 yards (8.7 yards per attempt) and a touchdown. Holani is competing with rookie seventh-round pick Damien Martinez for the third running back spot with Kenny McIntosh sustaining a potentially season-ending knee injury. Martinez was less effective in his opportunities, taking six carries for just 10 yards. Holani looks like the clear option there, at least through one game. He has sneaky speed, good vision and an impressive contact balance. It was a good start to Holani’s campaign to be kept on the 53-man roster. Running back sleeper: UDFA Jacardia Wright had an impressive debut. He had a 45-yard run negated on a holding call, but Wright showed deft vision on a short 1-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Wright saw a stone wall in front of him and cut it back to find a hole and six points. He finished with seven carries for 34 yards and the score and will be one to watch through the rest of the preseason. Mike Macdonald got a little spicy It’s just the preseason, but Macdonald wasn’t afraid to dip into his bag of tricks with Pete Carroll on the other sideline. Late in the second quarter, Macdonald sent a disguised blitz at Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell — forcing him to throw early and into a trap coverage. Cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett, a 2024 fifth-round pick, jumped in front of the pass for the interception. It was a nearly impossible situation for O’Connell to win unless he had the rapid wherewithal to throw the ball away. Unfortunately for the Raiders, he did not. Rapid-fire defensive standouts Rookie second-round safety Nick Emmanwori looked as good as advertised in his first game action at Lumen Field. The do-it-all defender nearly had a sack on former Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith on the first Las Vegas drive of the game, and he had a tackle for loss later on in the first quarter. Nose tackle Brandon Pili impressed in the middle of the defense with two tackles in limited action. He was consistently penetrating the Raiders’ front line and disrupting the offense. UDFA wide receiver-turned-edge rusher Connor O’Toole had the only sack of the night by either team in the fourth quarter, taking down Raiders quarterback Cam Miller. O’Toole finished with three total tackles. Pritchett finished his day with four tackles, two pass deflections and his interception. He’s in a battle with Josh Jobe and Shaquill Griffin for the third cornerback spot. Jobe also had an interception in the first half. Gaines deserves major credit for denying Carroll his first win in Lumen Field as an opponent, also. He used all of his 6-foot-3 frame and long wingspan to bat down Carlson’s would-be game-winning kick. About that Tory Horton hype train … It’s rolling, with a full head of steam. Horton totaled three catches for 31 yards and a spinning touchdown that saw him weave through three Las Vegas defenders to get into the end zone. It was anything but ordinary, as Horton caught a simple stick route pass from Drew Lock and did the rest himself. This train isn’t slowing down any time soon, and Horton looks to be the real deal. Up Next The Seahawks host the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2 of the preseason at 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 15. That will be their final home game before returning home for the regular season opener on Sept. 7.
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