The 2024 NBA Draft will take place on Wednesday June 26 and Thursday June 27. Our resident draft expert, Bryant, is semi-retired from the draft, so we won’t have his usual in-depth analyzes to rely on. So we’re going to do our preliminary coverage a little differently this year. We’ll present some perspectives, share some highlight videos, and share some general thoughts before opening it up to the group for discussion.
Today we review Nikola Topic, an intriguing player who may not even be available at the 13th pick.
NBA position: Guard
General informations: 18 years old, played for KK Mega Basket and Red Star of the Serbian KLS. From Novi Sad, Serbia.
Measurable elements: 6’6″, 200 lbs, 6’8″ wingspan (Note: I couldn’t find official measurements for the subject, so I’m using the measurements listed by Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer)
Statistics for the 2023-2024 season (Crvena zvezda): 14.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 5.0 APG, 0.0 SPG, 0.5 BPG, 2.5 TPG (2 games played, 31.0 minutes per game), 39.1 FG%, 30, 0% 3P, 88.9% FT
Statistics for the 2023-2024 season (KK Mega Basket): 18.4 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 7.1 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 3.2 TPG (12 games played, 33.8 minutes per game), 52.3 FG%, 25, 9% 3P, 85.5% FT
In most mock drafts, Nikola Topic makes several picks above 13th. This one from our friend Brett Huff Large consensus table (which compiles all mock drafts to give us an average ranking among experts) currently has the third-ranked subject overall, to the point where it seems ridiculous to us to look at it. And yet there’s reason to believe it might slip a bit. The Ringer’s latest mock draft places him at No. 8, and ESPN’s Jonathan Givony reported Wednesday that the topic had been diagnosed with a partially torn ACL. Topic missed significant time last season with a knee injury and re-injured his knee shortly after returning to action. Concerns over multiple serious knee injuries at such a young age could be a reason the Kings are wary of Topic, but could also be the reason a prospect like Topic could slide to the 13th pick. If such a slide occurs, it could be reminiscent of Michael Porter Jr sliding to the 15th pick and being scooped up by the Denver Nuggets.
The subject would be imperfect but interesting for the Kings. He’s more of a goalkeeper, but he’s tall. 6’6″ with a 6’8″ wingspan, Topic creates primarily with the ball in his hands, and while he doesn’t look particularly fluid with the ball, he is effective at navigating through defenses and find the basket. The guile despite stunning athleticism is reminiscent of several other Euro stars who have made an impact in the NBA.
Despite the injuries, I would be shocked if Topic fell to the 13th pick. Spurs have both the 4th and 8th picks and can afford to be patient as they build long term around Wemby. Even if Topic overtakes the Spurs, he would definitely make sense for the Jazz at 10 or the Thunder (not based on need, but because OKC is just grabbing talented guys at every opportunity) at 12. Even if Topic is available at 13, I’m not sure Monte McNair would select him, as Topic is a big plus prospect who will likely need a year or two before he can make a significant impact in the NBA. But sometimes the opportunity to add such a talented young player with potential is too good to pass up.
