Spending a redshirt season on the NBA champion, Nikola Topic became a fun part of future trivia when he won a ring before he registered a second on the floor. The 19-year-old is the only player in history who’s accomplished that feat.
As the Oklahoma City Thunder went on to have one of the most dominant seasons ever, Topic quietly rehabbed in the background. His 2024 NBA draft stock fell to the No. 12 spot and landed in OKC. It’s a worthy swing that has plenty of upside.
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All eyes are on Topic in the 2025 Summer League. Usually, the NBA champion has nothing to look forward to in the two-week event because of the draft position. But the Thunder have a blue-chip prospect gifted to them from their rich draft asset collection.
The results have been a pleasant surprise through two games. He’s shown flashes of being a high-feel facilitator who can run the fastbreak. He’s also bullied his way to the basket on his drives with his recently added weight. He’s even shown off his touch with a couple of outside buckets.
If Topic develops, his jumper will determine his ceiling. If he can become a steady shooter, that’ll open up plenty of passing lanes for the playmaker. The Thunder hoped assistant coach Chip Engelland could help him reach his potential with a year of one-on-one lessons when he recovered from his knee injury.
The shooting coach guru is known across the league as one of the best. He was brought over from the San Antonio Spurs in 2022. He’s spent plenty of time with players like Josh Giddey and Ousmane Dieng over the years to help rework their jumpers. Now, Topic has been his next big project.
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“Chip is a legend. Chip is one of a kind,” Topic said. “He brings energy to the training facility and the arena every day. He’s the same every day.”
Let’s see if Topic can be a decent shooter. That’s the toughest skill set to acquire at the NBA level. It remains to be seen and the answer won’t be found out for a while. But even if he can’t, he has other ways to contribute to winning basketball.
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Nikola Topic talks relationship with Thunder assistant Chip Engelland