Oklahoma City Thunder guard Nikola Topic, the No. 12 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, has started chemotherapy after being diagnosed with testicular cancer, general manager Sam Presti told reporters Thursday, Oct. 30.
Presti said there is no timetable for the 20-year-old’s return to basketball, stressing that the organization’s only expectation is for Topic to focus on his health. “This is his most important priority,” Presti stated. “He’ll be back playing basketball when he’s able to, but we’re not putting any type of expectations on that. He has our total support, encouragement and love.”
Team doctors are “extremely positive” about Topic’s prognosis, Presti added, noting that testicular cancer has one of the highest cure rates among men.
Topic missed the Thunder’s 2024-25 championship run while recovering from a torn ACL suffered before the draft. He logged 31 minutes in Oklahoma City’s preseason opener earlier this month, then was ruled out four to six weeks after undergoing a testicular procedure that ultimately confirmed the cancer diagnosis.
The Thunder underscored their commitment to the Serbian point guard by exercising his $5.43 million team option for the 2026-27 season before the regular-season opener.
Presti pointed to former NBA center Nene as a hopeful precedent; Nene missed 76 days of the 2007-08 campaign while undergoing chemotherapy for the same illness and went on to play another decade in the league.
Source: Hoops Rumors
