Projected top-five pick Nikola Topic Reportedly avoided a serious left knee injury Monday while playing for Red Star in Game 1 of the ABA League Finals, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.
Subject suffered a non-contact injury in the third quarter against Partizan and had to be helped off the field by his teammates. He has reportedly been diagnosed with a sprain and will likely miss the remainder of the series.
The 18-year-old is expected to fully participate in workouts and interviews with teams ahead of the 2024 NBA Draft on June 26-27. He will also conduct medical tests and other on-court activities at the NBA Global Camp on June 6 in Treviso, Italy.
NEWS: Projected top-10 pick Nikola Topic has avoided serious injury, sources tell ESPN. Initial diagnosis revealed a sprained left knee that likely rules him out of the remainder of the Adriatic League final. Expected to participate fully in NBA preliminary activities in June. pic.twitter.com/Uwz6a7HLWh
– Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 14, 2024
Topić missed four months after suffering a ligament injury in the same knee in January. He has played in four games since his return on April 22, including Monday, averaging 5.5 points, 2.8 assists, 1.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals.
The 6-foot-6 guard was named the ABA League’s top prospect after averaging 15 points, 5.7 assists and 3.4 rebounds on 49.8 percent shooting from the field in 22 games this season. He joined Nikola Jokić, Goga Bitadze and Nikola Jović as previous players to win the award.
Topić should be a top pick after dazzling this season in a limited sample size. He takes great size to the next level and is probably further along than other prospects, given his professional experience in Serbia, which started when he was 16.
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