OKC Thunder Rookie Flashes Playmaking Prowess in Win Against Jazz

The Oklahoma City secured another blowout victory on Easter Sunday.

After taking down the Los Angeles Lakers 139-96, OKC beat the Utah Jazz 146-111 on March 5 to improve to 62-16. The pair of wins not only puts Mark Daigneault's team two victories away from securing the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, it has also given the end of the Thunder's bench a few opportunities on the court.

One of the players who has seen more minutes in the past two games is Nikola Topić, who was recently recalled from the G League after the OKC Blue's season came to an end.

In Topić's first two NBA games since February, the rookie guard has showcased his skill set as a playmaker. While he hasn't racked up any eye-popping statistical performances, the former lottery pick's potential was on display in both contests.

Against the Jazz, Topić finished with 2 points, 2 rebounds and 4 assists in eight minutes of action, continuing to find his footing at the NBA level. In OKC's win against the Lakers, Topić played 12 minutes, tallying 2 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists.

Nikola Topic four assists in five minutes #playmaker
— Derek Parker (@DParkOK) April 6, 2026

The 20-year-old's return to the NBA comes after a solid stint in the G League that saw Topić average 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.

Despite not getting much time with the Thunder early in his career, Topić's showing in the G League and his brief minutes with Oklahoma City have demonstrated the skill set that earned the Serbian point guard a spot in the 2024 NBA Draft lottery.

Topić would have likely been a top-10 pick in his class, but suffered a torn ACL prior to the draft and fell to No. 12 overall, where the Thunder selected the 6-foot-6 playmaker. After missing his rookie season with the aforementioned injury, Topić returned to action for OKC in the 2025 summer league and preseason before being diagnosed with cancer.

Topić overcame that too, though, and has battled his way back onto the court, finding success early in his return.

While the rookie guard hasn't been a key contributor for Oklahoma City and likely won't be for the rest of this season, Topić size, passing acumen and finishing ability at the rim could make him a solid bench player moving forward, especially with a fully healthy offseason to improve his game.