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Nikola Topic, a projected top-10 pick in this month’s NBA draft, has a partially torn anterior cruciate ligament, his agent confirmed to ESPN. Jonathan Givony.
The injury was discovered at the NBA Draft Combine in Treviso, Italy, where Topic underwent a medical examination that included imaging.
After a mid-season transfer from Mega MIS to Red Star Belgrade, Topic suffered a left knee injury in January that forced him to miss four months of Adriatic League action. He managed to return in April and played three games before injuring the same knee in the first game of the Adriatic League playoff final.
Givony said Topic is expected to travel to the United States in the coming days to be evaluated by NBA team doctors “who will decide on the course of action regarding surgery and a plan for the future.” His agent said he does not expect the injury to have a significant impact on his draft stock.
“The doctors who checked the stability of the knee confirmed that it was in excellent condition,” Misko Raznatovic told Givony.
Subjectwho turns 19 in August, is expected to be the youngest player selected in the first round of the NBA draft. B/R’s Jonathan Wasserman ranked him as the No. 3 prospect in his large painting project and predicted he would be selected fourth overall by the San Antonio Spurs in his final fictional project.
A 6-foot-2 point guard, Topic averaged 18.6 points and 6.9 assists in 13 games before his trade. Despite his injury, he remains an intriguing prospect with high upside who should have a bright future in the NBA.
