Nikola

Topic

Topic injured his knee in May, with it being reported in early June that he was dealing with a partially torn ACL. The resulting surgery turns the 2024-25 campaign into a “redshirt” year for the 6-foot-6 guard, making him a non-factor in redraft leagues. However, Topic is worth stashing in dynasty leagues due to his playmaking ability. Even with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander being Oklahoma City’s primary building block, there’s the belief that Topic can lead the second unit once healthy.

The young Serbian guard won’t turn 19 until after the draft, which should make him appealing to the rebuilding teams searching for a player to orchestrate the offense. In 23 games this past season, he averaged 14.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.0 steal and 1.1 triples, though he shot just 30.6% from beyond the arc. His deep shot is a question mark, as is his defense, however, his playmaking and finishing ability should both be strengths for him. Topic suffered a partially torn ACL in May, which will impact his development in the short term. Topic will likely miss time during training camp, but his ceiling is too high for this injury to dramatically impact how fantasy managers should view him. Oklahoma City, the No. 1 seed in Western Conference last season, has the luxury to take a big swing on a player with a top-5 ceiling. Topic’s development could come along quicker than expected after Josh Giddey was traded to the Bulls shortly before the draft.

Some mocks have Topic projected to go in the top five, but he is at least in the top ten in most mock drafts. Topic’s agent Misko Raznatovic doesn’t expect the injury to negatively impact Topic’s draft position because he is still young, and his knee is in excellent shape overall. With multiple teams looking for a point guard in the lottery, there should still be plenty of interest in the 18-year-old.