Why Nikola Topic Trade Should be OKC Thunder's Next Move

Oklahoma City has already made some moves this offseason, and its next decisions could be the toughest.

The Thunder are facing the issues of trying to retain a championship core in the midst of the modern NBA. With the current CBA, the top goal for teams like the Thunder is not only to build a title contender, but also to avoid the second apron for as long as possible.

That’s led to Oklahoma City effectively salary dumping Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe to East playoff teams over the past week. Yet, the Thunder are still showing their willingness to pay a hefty tax bill, affirming their commitment to Isaiah Hartenstein with a three-year, $75 million deal as reported on Friday night.

From here, the attention turns to Lu Dort and his immediate future. After Hartenstein’s deal, the Thunder are roughly $10.8 million under the second apron, not accounting for the team options for Dort or Kenrich Williams.

With Isaiah Hartenstein back in the fold, the Thunder now project to be:

🏀$10.2M over the tax
🏀$2.2M over the first apron
🏀$10.8M under the second apron

This is without Lu Dort or Kenrich Williams but does count both first-round draft picks. https://t.co/iLHFnIf8vG
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) June 27, 2026

Considering Dort’s team option is for $18.2 million, the Thunder will almost certainly decline it. Ideally, the Thunder will be able to get Dort back on a discount, but a $7 million discount seems like an unlikely sacrifice for the All-Defensive wing to make.

That’s where the Thunder’s next trade should come into play. Of the Thunder’s current roster of 13 standard contracts, most project to be a clear piece of Oklahoma City’s future.

However, it gets a bit murky when looking at the potential opportunity and fit for Nikola Topic. While a torn ACL and cancer have kept him from getting much time on the floor, the Thunder’s depth at guard may prevent him from seeing much time next season, even if fully healthy.

It may not seem like smart business for the Thunder to essentially salary dump the No. 12 pick from the 2024 draft, but his $5.4 million deal for next season being off the books could be huge. That extra room under the second apron could be enough to get Dort back in Oklahoma City for next season at a much-less dramatic discount.

Considering Topic could get more playing time elsewhere, and likely have a better shot at establishing himself in the league, a trade could have a clear benefit for him. Meanwhile, the Thunder could avoid getting themselves stuck in another Ousmane Dieng situation. Only this time, they’d be losing a key role player in the process.

Sure, Dort had his fair share of struggles last season, but if his magic number to return is within the range of roughly $11-16 million, Oklahoma City would be wise to send out Topic. After all, Dort is only 12 months removed from starting on a championship team and is still a key piece of the Thunder’s approach, especially defensively.

Simply put, if the decision is between keeping a guard who has under 200 minutes of NBA basketball under his belt at a stacked position or keeping a proven defensive star who’s been with the team for seven seasons, the choice should be straightforward for Sam Presti and company.

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