Thunder's Nikola Topic Diagnosed with Testicular Cancer, Undergoing Chemotherapy

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Nikola Topić is undergoing chemotherapy after being diagnosed with testicular cancer.

Thunder general manager Sam Presti announced Thursday that Topić's diagnosis was confirmed after he underwent surgery this month to do a biopsy and he has already started the doctor-recommended chemotherapy treatment plan.

Presti said the medical staff working with Topić is "extremely positive about his long-term outlook."

The Thunder announced on Oct. 6 that Topić would be reevaluated in four to six weeks after undergoing a testicular procedure.

According to Presti, the surgery took place at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Topić's biopsy came back positive for cancer, but he didn't want to make the diagnosis public until he started treatment.

Presti noted Topić has been working out with the Thunder at their facilities, though there is no timeline for him to play in games.

Oklahoma City selected Topić with the No. 12 pick in the 2024 NBA draft. He didn't play as a rookie due to a torn ACL suffered in the Adriatic League playoff finals when he was playing for Red Star Belgrade in Serbia.

Topić debuted for the Thunder in July during summer league. He averaged 10.8 points, 5.8 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game in five appearances.

The Serbian native also played in Oklahoma City's first preseason game, scoring 10 points and dishing out seven assists in 32 minutes against the Charlotte Hornets on Oct. 5.

Topić was with his Thunder teammates at Paycom Center for the regular-season opener against the Houston Rockets on Oct. 21. He received his championship ring from NBA commissioner Adam Silver as part of the pregame ceremonies honoring Oklahoma City's 2024-25 Finals victory.