Projecting this month’s top 10 picks NBA Draft pick Nikola Topic suffered a partial torn ACL. Topic’s agent, Misko Raznatovic, confirmed the news to ESPN on Wednesday.
It’s unclear how much impact the news will have on his draft status, but Raznatovic doesn’t expect his client’s draft stock to drop.
“The doctors who checked the stability of the knee confirmed that it was in excellent shape,” Raznatovic said.
ESPN’s Jonathan Givon added that Topic will travel to the United States in the coming days and be evaluated by NBA team doctors, who will decide his next step in recovery regarding surgery and a plan for future.
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The 18-year-old was in attendance at the NBA Draft Combine in Treviso, Italy, where he underwent an NBA medical exam. Although this injury is a blow, it is not the first time Topic has suffered a knee injury. In January, Topic was forced to miss four Adriatic League matches following a mid-season transfer from Mega MIS to Red Star Belgrade due to a left knee injury.
Topic returned to the field for three games before injuring the same knee in the first game of the Adriatic League playoff final. This isn’t a great start for Topic so far in his NBA career, and he’ll likely have to wait until the middle of the season at best to get a taste of the professional level.
In the latest ESPN NBA Draft, Topic was drafted at No. 7 overall, taken by the Portland Trail Blazers. He stands 6-foot-7 and has incredible size, great playmaking ability, and a high ceiling to potentially become a top point guard in the NBA.
Topic was a standout player with the Mega MIS, averaging 18.6 points, 6.9 assists and 3.6 assists per game while shooting 65 percent from the field, 29 percent from behind. arc and 85 percent from the free throw line.
The NBA Draft will be a two-day event this time, which was held in New York on June 26 and 27. The first day of the draft will be held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, home of the Brooklyn Nets. The second day of the draft will take place the following day at the ESPN studio in Lower Manhattan.
Topic has played for the Serbian Basketball League, ABA League and EuroLeague. The 18-year-old is a two-time ABA League champion, Serbian Cup winner, ABA League top prospect and All-ABA League team member in 2024. The point guard has the potential to be a great player of the NBA. , but only if he remains healthy.
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