GM Sam Presti: Thunder don't expect No. 12 pick to play next season

Nikola Topic shakes hands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected in the first round by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2024 NBA Draft at Barclays Center.

Nearly two years after their No. 2 overall pick (Chet Holmgren) suffered a foot injury that sidelined him for his entire rookie season, the Thunder used their 2024 lottery pick on another player they expect to have a redshirt season.

Head of basketball operations Sam Presti told reporters on Wednesday that Oklahoma City isn’t counting on 12th overall pick Nikola Topic being available to play in the NBA in 2024-25.

“Our expectation is that he probably won’t be playing for us next season,” Presti said of the Serbian point guard, who suffered a partially torn ACL earlier this year via Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman.

Topic is still expected to join the Thunder shortly and spend his rookie year around the team like Holmgren did in 2022-23, Presti confirmed via Rylan Stiles of SI.com. That experience benefited Holmgren, who finished second in Rookie of the Year voting this spring after averaging 16.5 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per contest while starting all 82 games for the Thunder.

New rules implemented in the 2023 CBA related to prospects’ medical info ensured that the Thunder got the opportunity to view Topic’s medicals prior to the draft . They were comfortable with everything they saw in regard to his knee, Presti said.

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