The Thunder have spent this offseason trying to absorb the hits that come with a deeper tax bill and second-apron pressure, and the roster still gives them plenty of ways to patch holes. Cason Wallace or Ajay Mitchell can help cover Luguentz Dort’s starting spot, while Jared McCain brings enough confidence from the perimeter to take on pieces of Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins’ workload.
But Oklahoma City’s biggest need goes beyond simply replacing bodies.
Last season made it obvious that the Thunder need another steady ball-handler in the main rotation, someone who can steady things when the offense bogs down and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is off the floor. That kind of insurance matters, and it matters even more for a team trying to sharpen itself for 2026-27.
That is where Nikola Topic comes in.
Topic’s latest setback - he’ll be limited in training camp after minimally invasive back surgery - is another delay in a career that has already been interrupted at every turn. He missed his entire rookie season with a torn ACL, then was heavily limited last year while dealing with a testicular cancer diagnosis. Just getting to this point says plenty about his resilience.
Still, the Thunder shouldn’t let caution turn into hesitation.
What Topic showed in the G-League last season is exactly why this remains such a meaningful development path. In 13 games with the Oklahoma City Blue, the second-year guard put up 18.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game, while hitting 46.5% of his three-pointers. That’s real production, not a tease.
Training camp was supposed to be his chance to carry that momentum into the organization’s first full look at him as an NBA player. If the back issue keeps him out until the regular season begins, that’s not ideal for his acclimation. But it also doesn’t erase what he can become.
Topic has a chance to be the best pure ball-handler on this roster. When he’s healthy, the control he shows with the ball stands out, and that could play well on a bench group that may include McCain, Ajay Mitchell and Alex Caruso. There should be plenty of shooting around him, and plenty of chances for him to organize it.
Mitchell offers some playmaking. Bennett Stirtz does too, after handling the ball often at Iowa. So Oklahoma City does have other answers if Topic needs more time.
But none of those options carries Topic’s ceiling as a true lead guard.
The Thunder’s regular season will be about identifying which depth pieces can grow into playoff-ready contributors. Topic does not have to be one of the immediate answers.
But he should get every chance to prove he can be. Even with the slow start, the door to rotation minutes in 2026-27 needs to stay open.
In Other News...
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Is Giving Thunder Fans A Dangerous New Thought
Early in training camp, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander already has Thunder fans looking twice at the little things, the kind that can make a star feel even more dangerous. A video making the rounds showed him in sprint drills alongside Jared McCain, and the broader takeaway was hard to miss: Gilgeous-Alexander is spending the offseason sharpening the parts of his game that make Oklahoma Citys offense hum.
The timing matters because Gilgeous-Alexander and McCain have put in real work together all summer, building chemistry while pushing each other in the process. McCain said the two spent a lot of time training together, including workouts in Canada, and that kind of shared grind is the sort of detail Thunder fans will file away as they wait to see how much quicker and sharper their centerpiece looks when the games count. [Read more 🡒]
Thunder Camp Is Already Forcing A Big Post-Dort Lineup Call
The Thunder are only three days into training camp, but the shape of their new-look roster is already coming into focus after a significant offseason shake-up. Media Day for the 2026-27 season underscored how much has changed, with Oklahoma City moving on from longtime starter Luguentz Dort and bringing in three rookies from the 2026 NBA Draft as it continues to sort through a fresh set of lineup questions.
One of the biggest is who fills Dorts spot in the starting group, and the early signs point toward Cason Wallace being a central part of that conversation. Head coach Mark Daigneault has made it clear he trusts Wallace, and executive Sam Presti has also signaled confidence in him since the trade, giving the Thunder a clear direction even as camp work continues to determine how the pieces fit together. [Read more 🡒]
Bennett Stirtz Faces A Thunder Role Change Right Away
Bennett Stirtz is already adjusting to life as a rookie with the Thunder, and the shift starts with how he will be used. At media day, the guard talked about adapting to a different playing style and embracing a catch-and-shoot role, a far cry from the kind of ball-handling burden he carried in college. He also stressed that confidence and repetition will matter as he settles into the teams system.
The opening comes with a clear opportunity, too, because Oklahoma City has a spot to fill after Isaiah Joe was moved to the Detroit Pistons. For Stirtz, that creates both pressure and a lane to carve out minutes quickly, especially if he can translate his shotmaking into the role the Thunder need. What remains to be seen is how fast he can make that transition look natural once the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]