Oklahoma City Thunder guard Nikola Topic has begun chemotherapy treatment after being diagnosed with testicular cancer, general manager Sam Presti told reporters Thursday.
Presti said doctors are "extremely positive" about the long-term outlook for Topic, the No. 12 pick in the 2024 draft who sat out last season while recovering from a torn ACL.
Topic underwent a procedure in early October at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston to get a biopsy. After receiving the results, he asked the Thunder to not publicly reveal his diagnosis until he had started the chemotherapy treatments, Presti said.
Topic has been able to work out while beginning chemotherapy, but Presti said there is no timetable for the 20-year-old Serbian guard to make his NBA debut.
"Our only expectations for him are to focus on this," Presti said. "This is his most important priority. He'll be back playing basketball when he's able to, but we're not putting any time length or expectations on that, obviously. He has our total support, encouragement and love."
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said Topic is in relatively good spirits.
"He's doing great given the circumstances, which is unsurprising," Daigneault said. "Sam [Presti] mentioned this today, but there's no one at 20 years old more equipped with the maturity and discipline and toughness to handle a situation like this than he is."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
