More help is on the way. The Oklahoma City Thunder have recalled Nikola Topic from the OKC Blue on Friday. He will be available to make his 2026-27 regular season debut in their matchup against the LA Clippers.
With how dire the health situation is right now, the Thunder badly need NBA-capable bodies. Topic represents that. He had missed the first 12 games of the 2026-27 regular season recovering from offseason back surgery he had in June 2026. Originally expected to be ready by training camp, things obviously went slower than anticipated.
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Now, Topic is back. He played in two G League games for the OKC Blue over the past week — just the first half in both — as part of his ramp-up process. After the Thunder declined his 2027-28 team option, he’s essentially playing out a contract year as he’ll be an unrestricted free agent this upcoming summer.
It’s been an injury-and-illness-plagued start to Topic’s NBA journey. The Thunder added him with the No. 12 pick of the 2024 NBA draft. He missed the entire 2024-25 season with a torn ACL. He was then limited to just 10 games in the 2025-26 season after being diagnosed with testicular cancer — which he eventually beat after several rounds of chemotherapy.
Now, this latest back surgery cost him his offseason and the first three weeks of the 2026-27 regular season. That said, Topic has a real chance to get minutes from the jump. The Thunder will be without several top players for the foreseeable future. He has a pathway to sponge up rotation minutes.
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Nikola Topic to make 2026-27 regular season debut in Thunder-Clippers game
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
