Nikola Topic, a 6’7″ guard out of Serbia projected as a top-10 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, has suffered an injury that could drop him down draft boards.
Topic has been diagnosed with a partial tear of his left ACL, his agent confirmed to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony during the international NBA draft combine in Italy this week. Topic injured his knee in January and sat out until April, rejoining his club team Red Star Belgrade, but re-injured the knee after three games. He got imaging done in Italy to confirm the diagnosis.
The timeline for a return is unclear because it depends on the details of the injury, which we don’t know. Topic is expected to fly to the USA and be evaluated by NBA doctors, who will determine if surgery is necessary and what his next steps should be.
For teams considering Topic in the top 10, this likely means he will miss at least part of the 2024-25 season if not all of it.
That may not matter to teams that really like the Serbian as a tall NBA guard. He has shown a crafty game off the dribble and the ability to get into the paint, from there he is a gifted passer and can score. What has made teams hesitant is his jump shot, or lack of one. There are also questions about his defense at the next level.