The calendar has flipped to August. Which means we're in the dog days of the NBA's year-round calendar. Little will happen over the next two months as teams across the league prepare for the 2026-27 season. Before we move on, though, let's reflect one last time on last year.
The Oklahoma City Thunder had a league-best 64-18 regular-season record. Juggling injuries all year, they overcame notable absences all year. Alas, they fell short of a second NBA championship with a 2026 Western Conference Finals exit.
To reflect on their 2025-26 season, Thunder Wire will conduct player grades for all 20 players who suited up for them this past year. Eleventh up is Nikola Topic, who is suddenly in a now-or-never year in OKC:
This has been the biggest knock on Topic. Through two seasons, Topic has played just 10 games. He missed the entire 2024-25 season with a torn ACL. The Thunder knew that was going to be the case when they selected him with the No. 12 pick of the 2024 NBA draft. His 2025-26 season was completely derailed by a scary testicular cancer diagnosis, though. ***** ody saw that coming. He missed three months and eventually returned to make his NBA debut right before the All-Star break.
Now, it's about staying healthy. Right now, we're off to a bad start. Topic had back surgery in June 2026. Even though he's expected to be ready by training camp, that's another offseason lost to an injury. Durability has been his biggest enemy since he joined the NBA. Hopefully, for his peace of mind, he can have a normal regular season. The Thunder also need him to show something as he's already in his third season.
#right
The Oklahoma City Thunder had a league-best 64-18 regular-season record. Juggling injuries all year, they overcame notable absences all year. Alas, they fell short of a second NBA championship with a 2026 Western Conference Finals exit.
To reflect on their 2025-26 season, Thunder Wire will conduct player grades for all 20 players who suited up for them this past year. Eleventh up is Nikola Topic, who is suddenly in a now-or-never year in OKC:
This has been the biggest knock on Topic. Through two seasons, Topic has played just 10 games. He missed the entire 2024-25 season with a torn ACL. The Thunder knew that was going to be the case when they selected him with the No. 12 pick of the 2024 NBA draft. His 2025-26 season was completely derailed by a scary testicular cancer diagnosis, though. ***** ody saw that coming. He missed three months and eventually returned to make his NBA debut right before the All-Star break.
Now, it's about staying healthy. Right now, we're off to a bad start. Topic had back surgery in June 2026. Even though he's expected to be ready by training camp, that's another offseason lost to an injury. Durability has been his biggest enemy since he joined the NBA. Hopefully, for his peace of mind, he can have a normal regular season. The Thunder also need him to show something as he's already in his third season.
#right
6 days ago
