Last season, Nikola Topic became the first player to win an NBA Championship without ever playing a single game in the association, as the point guard was red-shirted while recovering from a torn ACL. Now cleared for action, ESPN's Jeremy Woo believes the OKC Thunder could easily convince themselves that they don't need his services and, in turn, may use him as mere trade fodder.
In a recent piece discussing sophomores he believes warrant the most attention heading into 2025-26, Woo placed the 19-year-old within the top-10 of his rankings, arguing that Topic is the embodiment of "sheer curiosity.