2025 Summer League thoughts: What Nikola Topic, others did to stand out

USA Today

2 days ago

Usually, the NBA champion has little to look forward to in the Summer League. With low draft picks, they spent the two-week extravaganza rewatching playoff highlights on their way to the Larry O'Brien trophy. But the Oklahoma City Thunder remain an exception to the rule.
The Thunder had a productive Summer League. They played eight games in Utah and Las Vegas. Nikola Topic's debut after sitting out last season recovering from a torn ACL was worth the watch. The Thunder lost to the Charlotte Hornets in the playoff semifinal.
Reflecting on the 2025 Summer League one last time, let's give one quick thought for the 16 players that suited up. Thunder Wire will divide the entries into three separate articles:
Nikola Topic
Flashes were shown, but the 19-year-old will be a work in progress. Everybody knew that when he was added with the No. 12 pick of the 2024 NBA draft. He missed last season with a torn ACL. The Thunder had the luxury to take a swing on the long-term project, hoping he works out.
You saw some of Topic's high-end passing. He found shooters at the corner with cross-court passes. On inbound passes, he was a real weapon as a vertical passer. The more comfortable he got, the more daring his passes were to his teammates, especially in transition. That resulted in plenty of turnovers, but it's a good price to pay.
Malevy Leons
The Thunder must love Leons. He started in about every Summer League game. While he was mostly quiet, he showed off his length and wingspan with plenty of steals. He looked best when he was in transition. Sporting the No. 17 jersey, there's a touch of Poku in his game.
The 25-year-old spent a cup of coffee on the Thunder last season but was mostly on the G League's Blue. He'll be worth bringing back a second year. His familiarity with the program helped him get plenty of minutes throughout the Summer League.
Jazian Gortman
The Thunder didn't really have a third guard on the roster. That meant plenty of ball-handling duties landed on Gortman's lap. The results were as expected. He can dance with the basketball but not much else. He was a fine go-to scorer that could create his own shot, but couldn't do much else.
There's a reason why Gortman has bounced around the G League. He's had three stops in two seasons. The Blue could be his next. He's a decent bench scorer, but will likely be someone who doesn't carve out an NBA career because of it. You won't be afforded those same looks at the next level.
Erik Reynolds II
After being known as the guy who mistakenly scored on his basket, Reynolds II salvaged his Summer League experience with 16 points in garbage time. Besides that, he didn't do much else. He averaged 7.5 3-point attempts at Saint Joseph's.
That volume carried over to the Summer League. Maybe he did so at practice, but the games didn't show much to convince me that Reynolds II should be brought back on the Blue. That's a small sample to react to, though. If he can let it fly from deep on a decent clip, he could stick around in the G League or overseas.
Kerwin Walton
Walton is another player that barely played at the Summer League. He went undrafted after he spent five college seasons at North Carolina and Texas Tech. The 23-year-old didn't get many chances to impress on the court, which isn't the greatest sign if you're trying to land a contract.
Maybe Walton can get a G League or overseas deal elsewhere. A lack of playing time likely means he won't be brought back next season on the Blue.
Alex Ducas
After just one game, the Summer League turned into Ducas' swan song. He's set to go back home and join Australia's NBL. His NBA tenure was short and forgettable. Injuries limited his appearances. When he did play, he didn't show much.
At least he got a ring out of it. Now that Ducas has left, the Thunder have a vacant two-way spot. That remains the only roster spot left open by the NBA champions as we enter the slowest part of the NBA calendar.