Just after playing a game, he had to rest again! Topić has undergone testicular surgery and is expected to be reassessed in 4-6 weeks.

On October 7th Beijing time, Thunder guard Nikola Topić missed his entire rookie season due to an ACL tear, and he will still be unable to play as his second NBA season begins. The Thunder announced that Topić underwent testicular surgery on Monday local time, with recovery to be reassessed in 4 to 6 weeks. This means his NBA regular-season debut will not happen until at least November.

Selected 12th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, Topić remained sidelined throughout the Thunder’s championship-winning season last year but has prepared to compete for rotation minutes this new season. In the preseason opener against Charlotte, he played 31 minutes, shooting 4 of 9, scoring 10 points, along with 7 assists and 4 rebounds.

The Thunder have strong backcourt depth, with coach Daigneault having Alexander, Caruso, Carson Wallace, Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins, and Ajayi Mitchell among the guards. Therefore, Topić’s absence is not expected to significantly affect the team’s early-season rotation.

Nevertheless, for a player who has been on an NBA roster for 15 months but has yet to appear in a regular-season game, this is undoubtedly a disappointing setback.

Additionally, at the start of the season later this month, the Thunder will also be without Thomas Sober (ACL tear) and Kenrich Williams (knee surgery).