The Oklahoma City Thunder opened up the 2025 NBA Summer League on Saturday against the Memphis Grizzlies at the Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. While the Thunder lost the game 92-80, they received strong performances from two of their young players, which have Oklahoma City fans dreaming of a repeat as NBA Champions.
There's no question that the Thunder can win more championships in the coming seasons. While that's never guaranteed, the Thunder became the youngest team in 48 years to win an NBA Championship. With the team continuing to add young talent, Oklahoma City is well-positioned to win more titles.
Ajay Mitchell and Nikola Topic shine in summer league opener
Thunder guards Ajay Mitchell and Nikola Topic both had impressive performances in the summer league opener. Mitchell scored 24 points on 10 of 18 shooting from the field.
Mitchell drafted by the New York Knicks with the 38th pick in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft before he was traded to the Thunder. In his rookie season with Oklahoma City, Mitchell averaged 6.5 points per game, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 36 games played.
A player to look out for the Thunder, who has yet to play a single regular season game with Oklahoma City is Nikola Topic. In Saturday's summer league opener, Topic scored 14 points on 6 of 11 shooting from the field and 2 for 4 from three-point range.
Oklahoma City selected Topic with the 12th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and he has the potential to develop into a solid NBA player. Topic missed last season due to a partial ACL that he suffered in May of 2024 before the NBA Draft.
Topic will have a significant impact on the Thunder's chase for a repeat
Now that Topic is fully healthy, Thunder fans are thrilled to see how he fits in next season and is optimistic that he can have a significant impact on the team's goal of winning a second consecutive NBA Championship. A 14-point performance in his NBA Summer League debut isn't a bad start for a 19-year-old guard from Serbia.
If all goes well for Topic in the summer league, he will be a valuable option off the bench for Oklahoma City's backcourt behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luguentz Dort. With an improved backcourt, the Thunder's chances of repeating look very promising if they can stay healthy.
The Thunder will play their second summer league game in Utah tomorrow against the Philadelphia 76ers.