The injured Nikola Topić can be the steal of the summer

Numerous expectations were cast on the Oklahoma City Thunder entering the 2024 offseason.

Since the franchise possessed a large number of assets and tradeable capital, analysts and fans alike speculated whether this could become the most memorable offseason for a single team in NBA history.

While it didn't quite reach unprecedented status, the Thunder assembled as strong a few months as the league has seen in recent years by trading for key role player Alex Caruso and signing bruising center Isaiah Hartenstein, along with smaller signings of Isaiah Joe and others.

If one Thunder front office decision was considered head-scratching, it was the selection of Serbian guard Nikola Topi ć in the June 2024 NBA draft.

Topi ć had suffered a partially torn ACL in the month before the draft and will start his rookie campaign in rehab, with no clear timeline for his return.

Gamble on an injured prospect

Topi ć went No. 12 overall in this year's draft. And a little over a month after he put on his Thunder cap on draft night, he successfully underwent surgery and is now healing and gradually preparing for his NBA debut in 2025.

The Thunder, who probably won't get a taste of their new point guard in the upcoming season, have some notable experience with a redshirt rookie after ascending big man Chet Holmgren sat out the entire 2022 season. The Gonzaga product looked as advertised in his debut campaign a season ago, with numerous indications pointing to a superstar future.

Bleacher Report's Greg Swartz perhaps envisions the Thunder can do it again. He tabbed the No. 12 overall pick as one of the "huge wins" of the NBA offseason.

"If healthy, the 6'6" Topić might have been a top-five pick," he wrote . "Most franchises don't have the patience to use a lottery pick on a player who's likely to miss his entire rookie season, which allowed the now 19-year-old to slide to OKC at No. 12 overall. Chet Holmgren, who also missed his entire rookie year with an injury, played in all 82 regular-season games and 10 playoff contests last season. The Thunder's patience has already paid off once. Expect Topić to come back at full strength next season and become a valuable part of the team's rotation."

As he progresses in his recovery, the star prospect has multiple things going for him.

Firstly, OKC has demonstrated incredible aptitude for developing young talent; virtually every player on the team's roster is a glaring example of this.

Furthermore, having experienced Holmgren's lisfranc injury two summers ago, the Thunder, knowing how tricky low-extremity injuries are, can potentially accelerate Topi ć 's rehab.

Back-up needed for Shai

And finally, an open role awaits the Serbian guard when he returns. With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander playing elite basketball and still emerging in many ways, OKC can comfortably wait out another year before it'll need to incorporate a facilitator off the pine.

But at some point soon, the team will need to dislodge Gilgeous-Alexander's heavy minutes, which he's often had to play with no reliable table-setter behind him on the depth chart. When he returns to basketball, Topi ć will be asked to do what he does best — play the point guard position without carrying a significant scoring load.

Greg Swartz is spot on this time. Depending on the speed of his assimilation into the NBA, OKC's Topi ć can prove that he was the steal of the 2024 NBA Draft.

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