With a now confirmed 6-foot-6, Nikola Topic burst onto the scene this season with solid play in the Adriatic League, eventually making his way to the EuroLeague.
He only played a few games there before injuring his knee, and injured it again in one of his final games of the season. Just a few days ago, Topic’s agent Misko Raznatovic confirmed that the goalkeeper was suffering from a partially torn ACL.
The injury will obviously affect his stock, which was probably as high as top five. Here are some teams that could still bank on his talents:
Washington general manager Will Dawkins hasn’t been shy about expressing the front office’s philosophy of continuing to prepare for long-term success rather than short-term success.
Although Topic may miss part of next season, it would not affect the team’s schedule in any way, as they are still ready to boast top picks in upcoming drafts.
Even more so, the team desperately needs a primary ball handler, and the long subject could provide that if his long-term medicals check out.
The Spurs are in a somewhat similar situation, with some young and talented prospects, but they are probably far from the competition.
Many thought the table topic would be a great fit for Victor Wembanyama via the No. 4 overall pick, but he could be an even more attractive option at No. 8.
With two top-eight picks, the Spurs could be willing to use at least one as a driver on Topic, should he develop into a star-level guard alongside Wemby.
The Jazz are in a different situation, with a random assortment of winning veteran players and promising youngsters.
If Topic is on the board at No. 10 – knee injury or not – he may be the best player available. And Utah could trade away in hopes of landing a prospect who could take the reins of its offense for the next few years.
Tenth overall could very well be Topic’s in the next draft.
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