OKC Thunder May Need to Make Key Nikola Topic Decision in Offseason

The Thunder guard has been through a tough two years, and his future is something to ponder.

Apr 27, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Nikola Topic (44) against the Phoenix Suns during game four of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Oklahoma City has a big offseason ahead, and one potentially big decision is flying under the radar.

Over the next few weeks, the Thunder will be looking ahead to the 2026-27 season and trying to find the best path forward as they look to get back to the top next year. Following a heartbreaking Game 7 loss in the Western Conference Finals to the San Antonio Spurs, the Thunder are clearly still right there in the conversation, but they’ve got some important decisions to make.

While guys like Isaiah Hartenstein, Lu Dort and Cason Wallace have headlined the early offseason discussions, Nikola Topic is also an interesting name to watch. After missing his first season with a torn ACL and getting cancer just as this season was set to tip off, Topic hasn’t had much of a chance to get on the floor and show why Oklahoma City drafted him 12th in 2024.

While he was able to make an inspiring comeback to the floor in February, he only played 10 games in the regular season and got some garbage time in nine playoff contests. In the regular season, Topic averaged 5.2 points, 4.4 assists and 2.5 turnovers, which make for solid numbers considering his situation.

Ideally, the Thunder will be able to get some good minutes out of Topic throughout next season as he works through some expected mistakes and shows flashes of the player who was once projected as a top five pick. Of course, things don’t always go as planned in the NBA, as evidenced by the tough situations Topic has been thrust into to begin his career in Oklahoma City.

Most importantly, the Thunder are hoping Topic can stay healthy and get his conditioning to a point where he’s ready to get on the floor next season and contribute. Although he’s been dealt a rough hand to begin his career, Topic, who will be 21 next season, still has plenty of time to find his footing in the league.

Of course, he may not be able to fully thrive in Oklahoma City. With Jared McCain, Ajay Mitchell and Cason Wallace all taking up valuable minutes for the Thunder’s young guard rotation, Topic could project as the odd one out, even considering Mark Daigneault’s willingness to go deep into his bench on a nightly basis for the first 82.

While it doesn’t necessarily seem likely that Topic will get moved this offseason, he should have some intriguing value for teams around the league, and Oklahoma City may have a roster crunch with its incoming first-round picks.

Sam Presti and the Thunder certainly aren’t going to give up on Topic’s potential, but with a team in the midst of a contending window and scarce backcourt minutes to go around, the Serbian guard could be a trade candidate this offseason in the right situation.