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The Oklahoma City Thunder announced on Friday that Nikola Topic has been assigned to the G League's OKC Blue. This will be his second trip there as he's suited up for five NBA games since he returned from testicular cancer.
The move likely gives Topic a chance to continue to receive playing time. The Thunder welcomed back Shai Gilgeous-Alexander from a nine-game absence due to an abdominal strain. And it sounds like Ajay Mitchell is about to return soon.
That means Topic likely would've been outside of OKC's rotation. Instead of sitting on the bench, the 20-year-old can get some starting reps with the Blue. They have a three-game homestand coming up from Mar. 1-7.
Topic has averaged 3.2 points and two assists in five games this season. He was added with the No. 12 pick of the 2024 NBA draft. He missed all of last season recovering from a torn ACL. He also missed the first four months of this season going through cancer recovery after he was diagnosed with the illness in Oct. 2025.
Right now, the important thing is to give Topic a taste of the NBA lifestyle. Being away from basketball for so long will build up a ton of rust that needs to be knocked down. The fact that he's played NBA minutes in the same season he went through rounds of chemotherapy is an accomplishment in itself.
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: OKC Thunder assign Nikola Topic to G League's OKC Blue
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