Sam Presti, ever ready to temper expectations, stressed the need to give Nikola Topić “some grace” ahead of his first real basketball game in over a year.
Still, the Thunder general manager said during his offseason news conference that Topić had “made great strides” since selecting the Serbian guard 12th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft.
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Five days after those comments, it was pretty easy to see what he was talking about as Topić finally made his Thunder debut Saturday in a 92-80 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA Summer League opener in Salt Lake City.
Topić, about 14 months removed from suffering a partially torn ACL in his left knee, showed enough flashes of why he was a lottery pick. He picked apart passing lanes for a pair of steals. He initiated offense, creating looks for teammates en route to four assists. He made a couple of pressure 3-pointers, as much as those can exist in Summer League, while finishing with 14 points.
Yet, there’s plenty of room to grow. Topić committed seven of the Thunder’s 23 turnovers.
All in all, not a bad debut for someone who entered Saturday with zero game minutes in the NBA but one championship parade.
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More: Thunder GM Sam Presti says Nikola Topić ‘made great strides’ ahead of NBA Summer League
Nikola Topić stats for Thunder vs. Grizzlies in Summer League debut
Field-goal shooting: 6-for-11 (54.5%)
3-point shooting: 2-for-4 (50.0%)
Free-throw shooting: 0-0
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Ajay Mitchell’s offensive vision on display
SALT LAKE CITY, UT – JULY 5: Ajay Mitchell #25 of the Oklahoma City Thunder looses control of the ball under pressure from Jaylen Wells #0 and Jeremy Jones #22 of the Memphis Grizzlies during the first half of their NBA Summer League game at the Jon M. Huntsman Center on July 5, 2025 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Yeah, it’s only Summer League, but Ajay Mitchell keeps showing why he was such a steal in last year’s draft with every extended run he gets.
And it’s not as if Mitchell was running point against a bunch of future insurance agents with the likes of Jaylen Wells, GG Jackson on the court for the Grizzlies.
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The former second-round pick showcased his ability to create shots for himself and others, leading the Thunder with 24 points (on 10-for-18 shooting) and six assists in 27 minutes.
The 6-foot-5 guard out of UC Santa Barbara was limited to just 36 games thanks to a toe injury, derailing a potential All-NBA Rookie season. Mitchell averaged 6.5 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.
Presti rewarded the former two-way player with a three-year, $9-million contract on June 29. That could end up being a massive bargain for a rotational player on a title contender.
Enjoy watching Mitchell in Summer League while you can.
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Brooks Barnhizer, floor-burn guy
Speaking of second-round draft picks, Brooks Barnhizer might be able to carve out a role for himself as a floor-burn guy.
The 6-foot-6 forward tried to spark a late rally with his diving steal and timeout with 4:36 left in the game and OKC down 82-70. The Thunder couldn’t capitalize on the turnover, but it’s the type of play to make a mental note of for down the road.
Barnhizer had nine points and 13 – THIRTEEN – rebounds in his first game since his reaggravating his foot injury Jan. 29 playing for Northwestern.
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Jaylen Wells, GG Jackson back in pre-injury form for Grizzlies
GG Jackson made the All-NBA Rookie Second Team two years ago, but he saw steep declines in all of his counting statistics last season as a foot injury limited him to just 29 games.
The former South Carolina forward had perhaps the best showing Saturday – other than OKC’s Ajay Mitchell – scoring 20 points on 8-for-15 shooting.
Fellow Memphis forward Jaylen Wells also scored 20 points (on 5-for-14 shooting) in his first game back from a scary fall in April in which he broke his wrist.
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More: Thunder vs Grizzlies recap: Nikola Topić debuts for OKC in NBA Summer League opener
Up next for Thunder
Former William & Mary standout Daniel Dixon, who is coaching the Thunder’s squad in Salt Lake City, will lead OKC against the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 2 of a three-game stay in Utah at 6 p.m. Monday (ESPN).
Jeff Patterson is the sports editor for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Jeff? He can be reached at jpatterson@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @jeffpattOKC. Support Jeff’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Nikola Topić returns from ACL injury for Thunder in NBA Summer League