Projected top 10 could fall from selection committee after injury

NBA Draft Rumors: Nikola Topic could fall after revealing he has a partially torn ACL in his knee.

Nikola Topic, a highly touted Serbian point guard and one of the projected top 10 players in the 2024 NBA Draft, is revealed to have a partially torn ACL, it was reported by ESPN on Wednesday. He first injured his knee in January, which forced him out for four months, then reinjured the same knee in April. Now that it has been reported that Topic is indeed suffering from an ACL injury, Topic is expected to travel to the United States to meet with team doctors to determine what his next steps will be.

Although there remains some uncertainty regarding his rehabilitation plan, Topic’s agent, Misko Raznatovic, believes that his the client’s knee is in “excellent shape” and that this injury should not impact his selection in the 2024 NBA Draft. Of course, there is no guarantee that this will happen and, if anything, it is completely natural for teams to be a little scared by this injury as the final two weeks before the NBA Draft approach.

Before the season-ending injury in the Adriatic League playoff finals, Topic was playing extremely well averaging about 15 points, six assists and three rebounds per game while shooting 49.8 percent. ground. His excellent performance in ABA earned him the prestigious ABA League Top Prospect award.

One of the main reasons why Topic is considered such a promising prospect is his combination of size, passing and rim finishing. At 6-foot-6, Topic is an excellent playmaker who uses his size and ball-handling ability to get to the rim at will. Whichever team chooses him hopes he can be the driving force behind their offense for years to come.

If teams determine that Topic’s medicals are not extremely concerning, he could still go very high in the draft. Teams like the San Antonio Spurs and Utah Jazz, both of which need a point guard, might be willing to take a gamble on him if his medical evaluations are favorable. However, the road ahead will be difficult and whether Topic is drafted will depend on the severity of the injury and his ability to convince teams that he can stay healthy and fulfill his potential.