Nikola Topic has undergone a minimally invasive surgical procedure on his spine, the Thunder announced on Saturday. The second-year guard won’t be available for Summer League, but the team expects him to be healthy when training camp opens in late September.
Team medical personnel were present for the lumbar microdiscectomy, which was performed by Dr. Andrew Dossett in Dallas. It involves making small incisions to fix a bulging disk in the lower back, according to Jeff Patterson and Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman.
The procedure is the latest in a string of health-related misfortunes for Topic, who was selected with the 12th pick in the 2024 draft. He suffered a torn ACL prior to the draft that forced him to miss his entire first season, then he received a testicular cancer diagnosis last fall that necessitated another operation followed by chemotherapy.
After recovering, Topic made his NBA debut on February 12 and played in 10 games during the regular season, averaging 5.2 points and 4.4 assists in 16 minutes per night. He also made brief appearances in nine playoff games.
Topic was a major star in Europe before deciding to come to the NBA and was viewed as a potential high lottery pick prior to the ACL injury. He could have a much larger role next season if he makes a full recovery and stays healthy, particularly if the Thunder make some cost-cutting roster moves this summer.