OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City Thunder guard Nikola Topic has been diagnosed with testicular cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy.
Sam Presti, general manager of the team, announced the diagnosis on Thursday.
Subject had a testicular procedure earlier in the month. The Thunder said at the time that he would be out at least four weeks.
Presti said doctors are “extremely positive” about the long-term prospects.
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said Topic is in relatively good spirits. He said Topic has worked throughout the process and will remain with the team.
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“He’s doing great considering the circumstances, which isn’t surprising,” Daigneault said. “Sam said this today, but there is no one twenty-year-old who is more equipped with the maturity, discipline and strength to deal with a situation like this than him.”
Topic was expected to be a key addition to a team that otherwise changed little after winning the NBA title last season. He was a first-round pick in 2024 and missed the entire 2024-25 season while recovering from a torn ACL. He played in summer league this year and started a preseason game against Charlotte, where he scored 10 points and seven assists in Oklahoma City’s 135-114 win.
Daigneault said the players are well equipped to provide support.
“The instincts of our players and the authenticity of our players and the character of our players — that’s what they rely on in all the unknown situations, if it’s unknown to some of them,” Daigneault said. “And that’s why I have so much confidence in the environment around Nikola as he goes through this, because our locker room is great in all situations, and they will rise to this just as he will rise to this.”
