After the Oklahoma City Thunder went through an offseason of roster changes, they're expecting a recast around the supporting characters. For the first time in a couple of years, the role players will be new and different. Despite that impending learning curve, they remain in the title conversation.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams suffice as one of the top and most accomplished trios in the game. Those three should keep the Thunder in the contention picture for the foreseeable future. That said, the rest of the roster is filled with question marks.
Two of those remain with an injury tag. Sorta, at least. Nikola Topic and Thomas Sorber will be limited in training camp. Remains to be seen what that means for the 2026-27
regular season. The good news is, though, neither are limited because of a new injury. Instead, it's about ramping up after a long time of being out.
Topic was the No. 12 pick of the 2024 NBA draft. He's logged 10 career games. He missed the 2024-25 season with a torn ACL. He then missed most of the 2025-26 season with a testicular cancer diagnosis. Most of his 2026 offseason was spent in recovery. He had back surgery in June 2026.
Meanwhile, Sorber was the No. 15 pick of the 2025 NBA draft. He missed the final month of his collegiate season at Georgetown due to foot surgery. He missed the 2025-26 season with a torn ACL. He then had a second knee procedure done in July 2026. That knocked him out for most of the 2026 offseason.
At the 2026-27 Thunder Media Day, here's what Topic and Sorber had to say about their respective training camp limitations:
Nikola Topic
"I feel good. I feel better, and I can't wait to be out there... I'm just trying to go day by day and take one day at a time every day."
Thomas Sorber
"Well, sitting out last year, I've definitely learned a lot. I've learned a lot about patience, being patient with myself not to rush anything and just to stay the course and build the day brick by brick. With everything else, like that's up to the medical staff and staying the course, just listening to what they have got to say with me and moving on with that...
"I feel great. But I'm just, honestly, sticking to what the medical staff has for me and seeing from there and move on from there."
Mark Daigneault
"Sam mentioned in his media that those guys are limited in camp. That's true. It is good to have them participating in what they're participating in, but they are limited."
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Nikola Topic, Thomas Sorber provide injury updates ahead of 2026-27 training camp
