Could Nikola Topic Fall to OKC Thunder on Draft Night?

As the 2024 NBA Draft heats up, reports are coming fast and furious around potential moves, surprises and projections. On Friday, ESPN offered a bevy of rumors to chew on such as the Oklahoma City Thunder potentially moving up to select Connecticut star, Donovan Clingan.

Though, Jonathan Givony's scuttlebutt did not stop there, another player linked to the Thunder is Serbia guard Nikola Topic. During stints of this draft cycle, the 18-year-old was viewed as a top-five prospect with many penciling him into the top spot.

However, with another injury to add to the list as Topic tore his ACL just days ago, his draft night slide is now expected. The 18 year old will likely be sidelined the entire 2024-25 season needing a redshirt year to recover from an additional knee injury.

This is why Givony reports that the OKC Thunder could be in his range in an ESPN article on Friday. Pointing out that the youngster could be worth a selection as he tumbles down boards due to injury.

"The fact Topic is only 18 -- younger than six of the 24 McDonald's All-Americans entering college this season -- and was at one point in consideration as a potential No. 1 pick prospect early in the season, means he is unlikely to fall very far down the board on draft night. San Antonio (No. 8), Utah (No. 10), Oklahoma City (No. 12) and Portland (No. 14) are viewed by teams as potential landing spots depending on team doctors' full assessments of his medicals, which have yet to be distributed. Only teams picking in the top 15 will have access to those, per new CBA rules," Givony reported.

Although, Topic is not a sure thing even if healthy. The 6-foot-7 guard with the same wingspan. His game needs a ton of polish which is no surprise for a teenager as he lacks a fluidity to his game that could spell trouble for the youngster translating his scoring prowess on the ball to the next level.

While a fantastic playmaker with feel for the game and passing on the ball, a reworked jump shot and improved on-ball scoring will be needed to thrive at the NBA level.

Topic has all the potential in the world though, and Oklahoma City has the luxury of not needing the No. 12 pick to contribute right away. Resting the improvement of a 57-win squarely on the shoulders of a rookie would be malpractice no matter how pro-ready someone might be - as Oklahoma City will need to rely on internal development and grabbing proven NBA players to bolster their roster. So taking a shot on Topic would not be the worst outcome.

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