A rare mid-season transfer of an elite NBA prospect occurred when Nikola Topic, the Serbian point guard ranked No. 6 overall in the 2024 ESPN Draft, was recalled this week to the team with he grew up, Red Star, in the EuroLeague. The 18-year-old is a potential top-five pick and spoke with ESPN’s Jonathan Givony about his departure from Mega MIS and the similarities between Topic’s play and Luka Doncic.
Also in this week’s NBA Draft Notebook, Jeremy Woo and Givony examine why first-round prospects are older than usual, first-year players who could potentially benefit from another year in college and the rise of Duke. Kyle Filipowski.
What does Nikola Topic’s departure to Red Star mean for his draft value?
Topic’s loan at Mega MIS ended prematurely this week, as he was recalled to EuroLeague team Red Star, the team he grew up with, for the remainder of the season.
“My dream for many years was to play for Red Star,” Topic told ESPN. “I grew up being a fan of this club. It will mean the world to me to play in front of 20,000 Red Star fans. I couldn’t say no to playing basketball in the EuroLeague.
