Oklahoma City Thunder guard Nikola Topic has been diagnosed with testicular cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy.
Sam Presti, the team’s general manager, announced the diagnosis on Thursday.
Topic, 20, had a testicular procedure earlier in the month. The Thunder said at the time he’d be out for at least four weeks.
Presti said doctors are “extremely positive” about his long-term outlook. He said Topic has been working out throughout the process and didn’t want the diagnosis revealed until after he started treatment.
“He has all the tools that you could ask for somebody to take on and conquer the situation,” Presti said.
Topic, a first-round pick in 2024, missed the entire 2024-2025 season while recovering from a torn ACL.
He played in the summer league this year and started a preseason game against Charlotte, posting 10 points and seven assists in Oklahoma City’s 135-114 win.
Topic was expected to be an important addition to a team that otherwise changed very little after winning the NBA title last season.
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Nikola Topic has been diagnosed with testicular cancer
Presti: Topic has our total support, encouragement and love
Speaking on the matter, Presti said: “I want to give a health update on Nikola Topic. I think as everybody’s aware, he had a testicular procedure at the very beginning of training camp.
“That procedure was necessary and done at MD Anderson in Houston to determine if Nikola was dealing with a case of testicular cancer.
“The procedure was necessary in order to do a biopsy. The results of the biopsy have been returned, and he is dealing with a case of testicular cancer. Now, he has a tremendous group of oncologists, both at OU, MD Anderson, and they are extremely positive about his outlook in dealing with this situation.
“It’s important to note that testicular cancer is the most cured form of cancer among males, but the treatment option for him right now, as recommended by the oncologist, is chemotherapy.
“Tope [Topic] didn’t want to make this information public until he had begun the actual treatments, which he has recently. He’s been in here, he’s training, he is working out. Through this entire process, he has been able to do that.
“But as we all know, this would be a challenging treatment process to go through. But the team of physicians he has around him, like I said before, is extremely positive about his long-term outlook.
“In terms of our expectations for him or anything like that, our only expectations of him are to focus on this. This is his most important priority.
“He’ll be back playing basketball when he’s able to, but we’re not putting any type of expectations on that, obviously. He has our total support, encouragement, love.
“The guys on the team have been amazing. Tope is a really remarkable, remarkable guy. I think everybody knows that.
“That’s been around him extraordinarily mature, composed, resilient. He has all the tools that you could ask for somebody to take on and conquer the situation.
“And we just want to make sure that we’re addressing it as we can, but also calling on everybody to recognise that it’s a private matter. And he’s got to focus on this right now and not basketball.”
