Thunder’s Nikola Topic will have to wait a little longer to make NBA debut

After missing his entire rookie season due to an ACL tear, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Nikola Topic won’t be available when his second NBA season tips off either.

The team has announced that Topic underwent a testicular procedure on Monday and will be reevaluated in four to six weeks. That means his regular-season NBA debut won’t happen until sometime in November, at the earliest.

The 12th overall pick in the 2024 draft, Topic essentially had a redshirt year during the Thunder’s championship season and had been gearing up to compete for rotation minutes this season. He played 31 minutes in Oklahoma City’s preseason opener on Sunday against Charlotte, registering 10 points, seven assists and four rebounds while making 4-of-9 shots from the floor.

Who will the Thunder turn to without Nikola Topic?

The Thunder have plenty of backcourt depth, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace, Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins, and Ajay Mitchell among the guards available to head coach Mark Daigneault, so Topic’s injury shouldn’t have a major impact on the rotation to open the season.

Still, it’s an unfortunate setback for a player who has been on an NBA roster for the last 15 months and has yet to see any regular-season game action.

The Thunder will also be without Thomas Sorber (ACL tear) and Kenrich Williams (knee surgery) when their season gets underway later this month.