Oklahoma City Thunder guard Nikola Topic has taken an important step forward in his recovery, resuming on-court workouts after completing chemotherapy following a diagnosis of testicular cancer.
The illness was discovered during the preseason, prompting Topic to immediately shift his focus from basketball to treatment before ever appearing in a regular-season NBA game.
According to his agent, Misko Raznatovic, the medical phase of that journey is now behind him.
Raznatovic explained in a recent interview that Topic has finished chemotherapy and is gradually ramping back up into a full training routine, adding that the young guard never fully disengaged from the sport even while undergoing treatment.
While no concrete return date has been set, Raznatovic expressed optimism that Topic could see meaningful playing time later this year, potentially splitting opportunities between the NBA G League and the NBA if his progress continues on its current trajectory.
Topic’s path to this point has been unusually challenging. Despite being partway through his second NBA season, he has yet to make his league debut after missing his entire rookie year rehabbing a torn ACL suffered in the lead-up to the 2024 NBA Draft.
Entering this season, the expectation was that he would finally see the floor, but the cancer diagnosis delayed that plan yet again.
Even so, Raznatovic believes the adversity may ultimately shape Topic into a stronger player and person.
He suggested that navigating both a major knee injury and a serious illness in such a short span has tested Topic in ways few young athletes experience, and overcoming those hurdles could harden his mentality moving forward.
In Raznatovic’s view, if Topic remains healthy from here, the obstacles of the past two years may become the foundation for a resilient and confident future rather than setbacks that define him.
Nikola Topic Resumes Training After Chemotherapy https://t.co/AWVgZ6NSNT
— RealGM (@RealGM) January 9, 2026
