EuroBasket Gives Thunder Guard Nikola Topic Head Start On Rookie Season Comeback

BELGRADE, SERBIA – AUGUST 21: Nikola Topic (R) of Serbia in action against Alen Omic (L) of Slovenia during the International Basketball Friendly match between Serbia and Slovenia at Belgrade Arena on August 21, 2025 in Belgrade, Serbia. (Photo by Srdjan Stevanovic/Getty Images)

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For Nikola Topic, EuroBasket 2025 isn’t just another international tournament. It’s a crucial step in reclaiming the rhythm and consistency he lost during his first year in the NBA. After being selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the lottery of the 2024 NBA Draft, he was sidelined the entire season due to a knee injury.

As such, he won’t be making his true NBA debut or beginning his rookie season until the upcoming 2025-26 campaign. He’s still one of the youngest players in the league and has a bright future ahead of him, but the journey to reach his full potential will be easier said than done.

While Topic was widely considered a top-five player in that class, the knee concerns and pre-existing injury allowed him to slide to OKC at No. 12 overall. That’s great for the Thunder, but integrating the now 19-year-old won’t be easy this season. Not only is Oklahoma City the reigning champion with a loaded roster, but it takes time and reps to get back to full form. As such, Topic needs as much on-court action as he can get.

That experience and those reps have been plentiful this summer.

Between a productive showing in NBA Summer League, and now the opportunity to represent Serbia on the EuroBasket stage, Topic is finally getting the kind of competitive reps he’s been missing. These experiences not only allow him to test himself against high-level talent, but they also accelerate his transition into the league by sharpening his feel, conditioning, and confidence.

For both Topic and the Thunder, these months mark the real beginning of his rookie journey — one that could pay dividends as he works back to his full pre-injury form. He has the upside of a starting-caliber guard in this league within a few years, but he’ll be operating as a reserve in the meantime. That’s exactly what his role will be in the coming weeks with his home country.

Serbia’s roster at EuroBasket 2025 features several NBA players, including Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets), Bogdan Bogdanovic (LA Clippers), Nikola Jovic (Miami Heat) and Tristan Vukcevic (Washington Wizards). For Topic, being around and competing alongside this group gives him an early chance to build chemistry and gain experience against top-level talent. Exhibition matches have already begun, but the actual games will start next week.

It’s unclear exactly how much he’ll play, but this is still valuable experience nonetheless. In a summer leading up to a rookie season, especially when coming off an injury, Topic couldn’t have asked for a better situation. He will have spent a significant portion of the summer engaging in live 5-on-5 action in practice and game settings, between NBA Summer League and EuroBasket 2025. From there, NBA Training Camp will be underway, and he’ll get to play preseason games in less than six weeks.

Especially given that the Thunder will want to put him in a situation to play meaningful minutes early in his career, these are the types of experiences that set Nikola Topic up for success, which will only enhance the Thunder’s future outlook.