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Who is Nikola Topic? Get to know new OKC Thunder guard, No. 12 pick in NBA Draft
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- Who is Nikola Topic? Get to know new OKC Thunder guard, No. 12 pick in NBA Draft
NEW YORK — Even the clamors inside Barclays Center were audibly unsure. So few predicted the Thunder's draft-night scheme.
Nikola Topic certainly had no clue.
His draft night fate was murky before Sam Presti stepped in. Topic, who was diagnosed with a partial ACL tear earlier this month, gradually saw his name slip down the lottery as Wednesday's NBA Draft approached.
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A cycle without what pundits considered to be obvious stars was bound to bring confusion. By the time NBA commissioner Adam Silver reached to announce the No. 12 pick, an unpredictable deck had already been shuffled some. Presti reached for vision, a player who'll likely redshirt his entire rookie year before suiting up.
"No, no," Topic said, asked if he expected to be selected by the Thunder. "I didn't think anything, anybody. I was just here for the ride, and whoever took me, I'd be happy."
More: Mussatto: OKC Thunder GM Sam Presti left breadcrumbs with NBA Draft pick Nikola Topic
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 26: Nikola Topic (R) shakes hands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver (L) after being drafted 12th overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 26, 2024 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Thunder draft pick Nikola Topic has yet to visit Oklahoma
The Thunder's direction was never clear, but even less so once potential targets began flying from the board. Ron Holland, an athlete brimming with upside, fittingly took his Cartier glasses to Detroit ; Tidjane Salaun, as much a project as anyone in the lottery, landed with the Hornets; Cody Williams , if ever truly in consideration, was stolen away by Danny Ainge and the Jazz .
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The 18-year-old Serbian mentioned that he and members of the Thunder organization had talked "a few times," but that he'd never visited Oklahoma. Topic did conduct visits with other teams in person, though.
A few things were certain amid Topic (and perhaps Thunder fans') early confusion: Oklahoma City , after a 57-win season and a promising first playoff run for this iteration for the Thunder, was in a position to gamble with its pick. And the Thunder, having housed Chet Holmgren , whose Lisfranc injury stole his rookie year from him, has experience with redshirts.
"They know what they're doing," Topic said.
Presti noted Wednesday night in Oklahoma City that the team expects Topic to be sidelined next season. From across the country, Topic stated that he didn't have any grasp on his recovery timeline, and that he'd talk with the team's medical staff this week to get a better idea.
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He expressed that throughout his process, teams displayed a level of optimism. Topic pronounced his love for the NBA.
"Here, NBA teams look three, four years ahead, not in this moment right now," Topic said. "That's great. In Europe, every game matters. This is the best league in the world, and that's why."
More: 2024 NBA Draft tracker: OKC Thunder picks Nikola Topic 12th overall, Dillon Jones 26th
ACL injury will delay Nikola Topic's rookie season in NBA
Injury timeline aside, the Thunder's interest in Topic at No. 12 was understandable. Presti, likely eyeing free agency and trade targets to advance his pursuit for title contention, had room to swing. And before the predraft process revealed his injury, Topic had been viewed as a top-five pick throughout much of the draft cycle. The obvious issue of recovery time — which the Thunder was positioned to care less about — never kept him from receiving a green-room invite.
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Even after Josh Giddey 's rocky season and a second-round playoff performance that saw his minutes diminish, Presti remained hopeful. His plans were for Giddey, now with the Bulls after a trade that landed Alex Caruso in OKC, to play to his strengths from the bench. To be the big facilitator that the Thunder drafted, the one that dazzled and delivered promise.
Those intentions were ambushed by Giddey's ambition. On Wednesday, Presti got the closest thing in this draft in Topic.
Topic, a 6-foot-6 playmaker, averaged 18.4 points and 7.1 assists in 12 games with Mega MIS this past season. He'll emerge from his recovery a talented passer, capable of an array of feeds. He isn't a remarkable athlete, but finished with promising finishing numbers this season.
He'll offer similar strengths to the Giddey of old, and he'll do so without needing to start — or without any expectations at all. Presti will get to mold an archetype he adores all over again.
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"I don't think you can have enough people that can make decisions on the court," Presti said, "and when you combine that with size, it definitely increases the effectiveness or the probabilities of those decisions being good."
More: NBA Draft tracker: 2024 draft order results, where prospects go in first round
May 14, 2024; Chicago, IL, USA; Dillon Jones (51) and Jamir Watkins (5) participate during the 2024 NBA Draft Combine at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
Thunder drafts Nikola Topic, Dillon Jones in Round 1
And before the first round concluded, Topic was supplanted as the Thunder's most intriguing decision.
Presti worked his way back into the first round, reportedly trading five second-round picks to the New York Knicks for the rights to draft Weber State's Dillon Jones with the 26th pick . Jones didn't receive a green-room invite. ESPN slotted Jones at No. 50, and The Athletic's Sam Vecenie had him mocked at No. 65 on his big board.
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Presti likely saw what he's seen in so many of his players during this iteration: Versatility. Jones did a bit of everything this past year. He spent time handling pick-and-rolls, thriving in transition and spotting up (though he shot at just a 32.4% clip from deep this season). Before then, he ranked top-10 in the nation as a rebounder through his sophomore and junior seasons.
He did so while standing 6-foot-6 and owning a 6-11 wingspan.
Before Topic could flush any feeling of being stunned, a hand reached out for him.
Thunder forward Jalen Williams , dressed as bold as a lottery pick himself, awaited Topic in hopes of congratulating him before he reached the stage. Topic then recognized what was as concrete as anything about his new destination: He'd entered a nucleus of young players embracing their excessively young peers.
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"He just told me, 'Welcome, teammate,'" Topic said, "and that means a lot for me because he accepted me."
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Who is Nikola Topic? Meet new Thunder guard, 12th pick in NBA Draft
