With the 12th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Oklahoma City Thunder selected Nikola Topic, a 6-foot-6 combo guard out of Serbia.

Topic, who experts predicted would be off the board early, fell to the Thunder at 12 due to a knee injury suffered late in the draft process that cost him the entirety of the 2024-25 NBA season, one in which Oklahoma City won its first championship in franchise history.

kAmqFE 27E6C 2 =@?8[ C6DE=6DD C@25 E@ C64@G6CJ[ %@A:4 C6EFC?65 E@ E96 92C5H@@5 E9:D H66< 2?5 7=2D965 2 G2C:6EJ @7 E@@=D E92E D9@H H9J @77:4:2=D 2C@F?5 E96 =628F6 E9@F89E D@ 9:89=J @7 9:> 8@:?8 :?E@ E96 5C27E AC@46DD]k^Am

kAmx? ~<=29@>2 r:EJ’D 7:CDE $F>>6C {628F6 82>6 E9:D A2DE H66<6?5[ %@A:4 E2==:65 `c A@:?ED 😕 ae >:?FE6D @? e\@7\“ D9@@E:?8[ 255:?8 7@FC 2DD:DED[ 2 C63@F?5 2?5 EH@ DE62=D] %@A:4 DECF88=65 7C@> E96 7:6=5 😕 9:D D64@?5 82>6 324< 3FE 7=2D965 9:D A@E6?E:2= 😕 @E96C 2C62D @? E96 4@FCE[ D4@C:?8 “ A@:?ED @? a\@7\`b D9@@E:?8 H9:=6 E24<:?8 @? 7:G6 2DD:DED[ E9C66 3@2C5D 2?5 E9C66 DE62=D 😕 ag >:?FE6D]k^Am

kAm“#62==J 6I4:E65 7@C 9:> E@ 36 324< @? E96 7=@@C[” %9F?56C 4@249 s2?:6= s:I@? D2:5] “w6’D 2 C62==J J@F?8 A=2J6C[ 2?5 x’> C62==J 6I4:E65 7@C 9:> E@ <:?5 @7 3F:=5 9:D 32D6=:?6 2D 2 A=2J6C] p?5 x E9@F89E 96 5:5 2 8@@5 ;@3 @7 ;FDE 4@>:?8 @FE 2?5 =6EE:?8 E96 82>6 E6== 9:> H92E E@ 5@]k^Am

kAm“p== H6’C6 2D<:?8 @7 9:> C:89E ?@H 😀 ;FDE E@ DE24< 52JD[ ;FDE =:<6 E96 C6DE @7 E96 8FJD]”k^Am

kAm%@A:4’D C@25 E@ C64@G6CJ H2D 2 =6?8E9J 2?5 5:77:4F=E @?6[ >2CC65 3J DECF88=6D 2?5 D6E324>2E6D =:<6 p;2J |:E496== 2?5 r96E w@=>8C6? 2=@?8D:56 9:> C69233:?8 :?;FC:6D @7 E96:C @H?[ E96:C DFAA@CE 2?5 >@E:G2E:@? >256 E9:?8D >@C6 >2?28623=6 @G6C E:>6]k^Am

kAm“xE H2D 92C5[ 3FE 6G6CJ3@5J H2D E96C6 7@C >6] x 4@F=5 E2=< E@ 2?J3@5J[” %@A:4 D2:5] “r96E H2D @3G:@FD=J E96C6 ECJ:?8 E@ CF? E9C@F89 E96 D2>6 E9:?8[ D@ x E9:?< E92E 96=A65 2 =@E[ ;FDE E2=<:?8 E@ E96>] qFE[ @G6C2==[ E96 368:??:?8 H2D E@F89] qFE =2E6C @?[ :E H2D AC6EEJ 62DJ]”k^Am

kAmp?5 2D >F49 2D %@A:4 H2?E65 E@ 86E 324< @? E96 7=@@C[ 36:?8 2 A2CE @7 2 492>A:@?D9:A E62> >256 E9@D6 766=:?8D @7 :>A2E:6?46 2 =:EE=6 62D:6C E@ >2?286]k^Am

kAm“xE H2D H6:C5[ 3FE :E H2D C62==J 4@@= E@ 36 2C@F?5 E9@D6 8FJD] p?5 ;FDE E@ 36 23=6 E@ H2E49 E96> H2D C62==J 8C62E[” %@A:4 D2:5] “p?5 x >62?[ @3G:@FD=J[ H6 H@? 2 492>A:@?D9:A] $@ :E 4@F=5?’E 36 36EE6C]”k^Am

kAmpD %@A:4 H2D 86EE:?8 E@ @H 9:D ?6H E62>>2E6D[ 96 3682? E@ @A6? FA 2?5 D9@H >@C6 @7 9:D A6CD@?2=:EJ] |:E496==[ H9@ C6923365 H:E9 %@A:4 H9:=6 562=:?8 H:E9 2 E@6 :?;FCJ >:5H2J E9C@F89 E96 D62D@?[ DA@<6 9:89=J @7 E96 8F2C5[ DE2E:?8 E92E 96 H2D 2 7F? 8FJ E@ 36 2C@F?5 @?46 96 7=2D965 9:D A6CD@?2=:EJ 2?5 D6?D6 @7 9F>@C H:E9 @E96CD @? E96 E62>]k^Am

kAm“w6’D 7F??J] w6 H2D BF:6E 2E 7:CDE[ 3FE ?@H 96’D ;FDE 7F??J] vC62E 5F56[ 8C62E A=2J6C[ 2?5 x’> C62==J 6I4:E65 7@C 9:>[” |:E496== D2:5[ 255:?8[ “xE’D 366? 2 J62C 2?5 96 92D?’E A=2J65 2 ECF6 82>6[ D@ E@ 4@>6 @FE E@ DF>>6C =628F6 2?5 A=2J E96 H2J 96 5:5 — x’> C62==J 6I4:E65 7@C 9:>]”k^Am

kAmpD 2 e\7@@E\e A@:?E 8F2C5[ %@A:4 3C:?8D 2 =@E E@ E96 E23=6 7@C E96 5676?5:?8 492>AD] p?5 H96E96C :E’D 86EE:?8 E@ E96 C:>[ 5:DEC:3FE:?8 E96 32== E@ E62>>2E6D @C ;FDE 7=2D9:?8 9:D 82>6 x” 2?5 A=2J>2<:?8 23:=:E:6D[ %@A:4 D2:5 96 H2D ;FDE 6I4:E65 E@ 86E :?E@ E96 7=@H @7 E9:?8D 282:? 29625 @7 E96 FA4@>:?8 C68F=2C D62D@?]k^Am

kAm“xE’D 2 =:EE=6 3:E H6:C5 — DE:== 86EE:?8 FD65 E@ :E — 3FE :E’D ?:46 E@ 86E 324< E@ :E[” %@A:4 D2:5] “yFDE E@ 86E 😕 E96 82>6 C9JE9>[ A=2J 324<\E@\3246D 😕 EH@ 52JD[ D:I 82>6D 😕 E6? 52JD — ;FDE =@@<:?8 E@ 86E 😕 E92E 82>6 C9JE9> 2?5 82>6 D92A6]”k^Am

kAmx7 E96C6 2C6 2?J 9@=6D 😕 9:D 82>6[ >2?J H@F=5 D2J E96 C@@<:6 4@F=5 :>AC@G6 9:D D9@E 7C@> 36J@?5 566A] w@H6G6C[ ?@ @?6 >:89E 36 >@C6 7:E 7@C E96 ;@3 E92? ~<=29@>2 r:EJ’D D9@@E:?8 4@249 r9:A t?86==2?5]k^Am

kAmv:G6? E96:C E:>6 E@86E96C 😕 E96 8J> =2DE D62D@? H9:=6 %@A:4 H2D :?;FC65[ t?86==2?5[ H9@ 😀 @H? 2C@F?5 E96 =628F6 2D @?6 @7 E96 36DE 2DD:DE2?E 4@2496D[ 6DA64:2==J H96? :E 4@>6D E@ 7:I:?8 2 ;F>A D9@E[ C646:G65 9:89 AC2:D6 7C@> %@A:4]k^Am

kAm“r9:A 😀 2 =686?5] r9:A 😀 C62==J @?6 @7 2 <:?5[” %@A:4 D2:5] “w6’D 2 8C62E 8FJ] w6 3C:?8D 6?6C8J E@ E96 82>6 7C@> E96 724:=:EJ E@ E96 2C6?2 6G6CJ 52J] w6’D E96 D2>6 6G6CJ 52J]”k^Am

kAm(:E9 2 DEC@?8 DFAA@CE:?8 DE277 2?5 2 492>A:@?D9:A C@DE6C H2:E:?8 E@ FE:=:K6 9:> 7@C E96:C E:E=6 5676?D6[ %9F?56C 72?D D9@F=5 <66A 2? 6J6 @? %@A:4’D AC@8C6DD:@? 2D 96 7:?5D 9:D 82>6 62C=J @? 😕 9:D 3F55:?8 42C66C]k^Am