Thunder send Nikola Topić to the OKC Blue as he works back from June back surgery

The Oklahoma City Thunder assigned Nikola Topić to the OKC Blue, their G League affiliate, on Saturday. It is the clearest sign yet that the 21-year-old guard is close to playing again. Topić has not played this season after minimally invasive lumbar microdiscectomy surgery on his back in June.

Thunder PR:

The Oklahoma City Thunder has assigned guard Nikola Topić to the Oklahoma City Blue of the NBA G League.

— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) November 7, 2026

He had been expected back by training camp, but the recovery took longer and he has missed all of Oklahoma City’s first nine games. Topić could make his first Blue appearance of the season as soon as Sunday, when the Blue play the Osceola Magic.

Injuries and illness from the start

Topić’s NBA career has been interrupted almost from the beginning. Oklahoma City took him with the No. 12 pick in the 2024 draft while he was recovering from a torn ACL, and he missed the entire 2024-25 season. In October 2025 he was diagnosed with testicular cancer and went through several rounds of chemotherapy. He returned shortly before the 2026 All-Star break and played 10 NBA games last season.

The Blue were part of that comeback, too. Topić had six assignments with the Blue between Feb. 8 and March 29 to get game minutes, so he already knows the staff he is rejoining.

This is also a contract year for him. The Thunder did not pick up his fourth-year option for 2027-28 before this fall’s deadline, making him one of seven players from the 2024 draft whose options were declined this fall. He is set to become a free agent next summer, so the minutes he gets this season matter.

Why Oklahoma City could use him

The Thunder are 7-2 despite a long injury list. Friday’s 128-97 win in Memphis, led by Ajay Mitchell’s career-high 35, came without Chet Holmgren, Cason Wallace, Jaylin Williams, Topić and Thomas Sorber. Oklahoma City hosts the Washington Wizards on Saturday on the second night of a back-to-back, then starts a four-game road trip, its longest of the season so far.

In the Thunder’s game-day preview, the team’s broadcasters called it “an all hands on deck situation” and said two-way players and rookies should keep getting minutes. The Blue already have Thunder two-way players Brooks Barnhizer, Micah Peavy and Josh Dix on their roster.

10/82

Lock in with today's @OUHealth Game Day Report with @NickAGallo and @ParisNLawson 📝 pic.twitter.com/enCN7aai8A

— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) November 7, 2026

Saturday’s game tips off at 8 p.m. ET, which is 3 a.m. Sunday Cairo time. Topić stays on the Thunder roster while he is with the Blue, and the two teams share Paycom Center, so the Thunder can recall him whenever they think he is ready.