Nikola Topić is ready to debut in the NBA after being diagnosed with cancer

Oklahoma City Thunder Nikola Topić is a rookie guard available to make his NBA debut Thursday night against the Milwaukee Bucks, marking a significant milestone months after being diagnosed with testicular cancer.

The Thunder (42-13) host Bucks (22-30) at 7:30 PM ET on Prime Video, and Topic was not listed on the team’s latest injury report.

The 20-year-old guard recently returned to action in the G League and has shown encouraging signs in limited minutes. In his second game with the Oklahoma City Blue on Wednesday, Topic scored 22 points with four assists, two rebounds, two steals and one block. He shot 7-for-12 from the field and 4-for-7 from three-point range in 20 minutes, helping lead the Blues to a 127-118 victory over the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

Topic made his debut in the G League on Monday and averaged 14.5 points, 5.5 assists, 1.5 rebounds and one steal in two appearances. He shot 58.8% from the field and 55.6% from beyond the arc while playing 18 minutes per game.

His return to competition comes nearly four months after he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Topic was already coming back from an ACL injury that sidelined him last season before undergoing three rounds of chemotherapy.

🚨 Nikola Topic is AVAILABLE tonight and in line to make his NBA debut against the Bucks, 4 months after being diagnosed with testicular cancer 🙏 pic.twitter.com/H0kIjVuP9r

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 12, 2026

Nikola Topić is ready for a potential NBA debut after being diagnosed with cancer

Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault praised Topic’s perseverance earlier this week earlier Oklahoma City’s 119-110 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

“A big accomplishment,” Daigneault said. “I can’t say enough about him as a guy. His mental toughness, his maturity, his resiliency. And when I think about where he’s been — he had an ACL last year — he hasn’t played much basketball in the last two years. And he goes to rehab for a year and immediately has a very surprising diagnosis, and he goes through a cycle of chemotherapy — three.

“So for him to be back on the field is just an incredible accomplishment, like I said. And we’re just incredibly happy for him. His teammates have been very supportive throughout this process.”

Daigneault added that the focus remains on Topic’s well-being, not on current production.

“We’re all collectively thrilled to have him back in basketball. I know he missed it a lot,” Daigneault said. “And this is so good for him, mentally. We’re not evaluating performances right now. It’s just a huge accomplishment that he’s out there right now.”

If he does appear Thursday, Topic’s debut would mark a remarkable milestone for one of Oklahoma City’s youngest prospects as the Thunder look to close out the first half of the season before All-Star Weekend begins Friday at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.