OKC Thunder Rookie Nikola Topić Records Double-Double in First NBA Start

The Oklahoma City Thunder have locked up the NBA's best record for the second year in a row.

After defeating the LA Clippers to earn the team's 64th win of the 2025-26 campaign, OKC secured the No. 1 seed and home-court advantage throughout the postseason.

With the group's seeding already in hand, head coach Mark Daigneault elected to rest most of the team's key players in the Thunder's ensuing contest. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein and others all sat out against the Denver Nuggets on April 10 to avoid potential injuries.

As a result, the end of Oklahoma City's bench got extended run on the court against Denver. Like OKC, Denver rested most of its key players, but still came away with a 127-107 win.

The decision led to Thunder rookies Nikola Topić, Brooks Barnhizer and Payton Sandfort each getting an opportunity to showcase their skill sets. Topić made his first NBA start, finishing with 14 points, 11 assists, 4 steals and 8 turnovers while shooting 6-of-12 from the field and 2-of-3 from 3-point range.

While there were clearly positives in the Serbian guard's first start, the 20-year-old still needs refine his game and adjust to NBA competition. A potential top-5 pick in the 2024 class, Topic tore his ACL leading up to the draft and fell to No. 12 overall.

The injury sidelined the Topić for the entire 2024-25 season before the lottery pick was able return to the court during the 2025 summer league and 2025-26 preseason. Then, Topić was faced with another setback when he was diagnosed with cancer.

Once again, though, the talented playmaker overcame the obstacle and got back onto the hardwood. As a result, Topić has only played nine NBA games so far, averaging 13.4 minutes per contest following his 39 minutes on the floor against Denver.

While he hasn't played much for the Thunder, Topić starred in the G League this year, averaging 18.4 points, 7.8 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 55.2% from the field and 46.5% from 3-point range in 13 contests.

Despite a number of turnovers against Denver, Topić clearly still has intriguing upside as a playmaker, and seems to have developed a solid 3-point shot, which was one of his weaknesses as a draft prospect. If he continues to improve over the offseason, Topić will likely see an increased role during the 2026-27 campaign.

Barnhizer, the No. 44 overall pick in the 2025 draft, tallied 14 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 2 turnovers for OKC in a career-high 33 minutes. Sandfort, an undrafted rookie who is on a two-way deal with the Thunder, finished with 8 points and 4 rebounds in 28 minutes of action.