Nikola Topic, a 6-foot-1 Serbian point guard projected as a top-10 pick in the 2024 NBA draft, suffered an injury that could cause him to fall down the draft rankings.
The subject was diagnosed with a partial tear of the left anterior cruciate ligament, his agent confirmed to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony at the NBA Draft International Meet in Italy this week. Topic injured his knee in January and was out until April, before rejoining his club Red Star Belgrade, but re-injured his knee after three games. He underwent imaging in Italy to confirm the diagnosis.
The timetable for his return is not yet known as it depends on the details of his injury, which we do not yet know. Topic is expected to travel to the United States and be evaluated by NBA doctors, who will determine if surgery is necessary and what the next steps will be.
For teams considering Topic in the top 10, that likely means he will miss at least part of the 2024-25 season, if not all of it.
That may not matter to teams who really value the Serbian as a big NBA guard. He has shown a crafty game off the dribble and an ability to penetrate the paint, from there he is a gifted passer and can score. What has made teams hesitate is his jump shot, or lack thereof. There are also questions about his defense at the next level.
