OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma City Thunder rookie Nikola Topic will miss at least four weeks after having a testicular procedure on Monday.
The team said the 20-year-old Serbian guard will be re-evaluated in a maximum of six weeks.
Topic was the 12th overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft and missed the entire season while recovering from a torn ACL. He played in summer league this year, and started the preseason opener Sunday against Charlotte, finishing with 10 points and seven assists in 31 minutes in Oklahoma City's 135-114 win.
The preseason was expected to be a critical part of working Topic into the team. He’s the only new piece on a roster that largely remained the same after winning the NBA title.
Topic said on media day that he was looking forward to assisting the Thunder's trio of stars, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren.
“I think I help them maybe like, get the ball up the court or something like that,” Topic said. “And just make some passes, get defense off their backs, like try to get attention to some other way. Try to free them up.”
Veteran guard Alex Caruso said on media day that he expects Topic to be a good addition.
“I think for him, it’s just about trying to fine-tune his game and accelerate that learning curve that comes with being a new player in the NBA,” Caruso said. "And for him, I think he’ll be fine because he’s pretty emotionless, to put it lightly. He’s starting to make jokes now which is great. He’s starting to get more comfortable. For him, I think it’s just about letting him know that making mistakes is OK.”
Thunder forward Kenrich Williams had an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee last week, and his timeline for a return is unclear. Rookie center Thomas Sorber will miss the season with a torn ACL in his right knee.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
