Nikola Topic is a point guard who could be targeted by the Spurs (Photo via Twitter)
It hasn’t been a fun week for Nikola Topic, the 18-year-old Serbian point guard who was once projected as a top pick in the 2024 NBA draft. After injuring his knee twice this season , it was revealed this week that he suffered a partially torn ACL. Additionally, his 7-foot wingspan turned out to be just 6-foot-5.5 this week when confronted with an official measuring tape.
While neither of these developments are good news for Topic, I don’t think it significantly changes how he is viewed by the San Antonio Spurs.
First of all, as I’ve pointed out since the start of this draft cycle, there hasn’t been much of a connection between the Spurs and the subject. European scouts unanimously told me that Spurs were not among the teams doing the extra work to keep up with the Serbian’s play this season. Interestingly, the subject admitted that he was not contacted by the Spurs during the draft process – which could confirm San Antonio’s lack of interest.
If the Spurs were never interested in Topic, this news changes nothing. They weren’t going to choose him before and they won’t choose him now.
However, it’s possible that the Spurs loved Topic so much that they were doing everything they could to throw other teams off their trail. If San Antonio did indeed act as a smokescreen, I don’t think the torn ACL or short wingspan changes much. Maybe if they were secretly planning to pick him at No. 4, the Spurs would just wait for No. 8 now.
In a scenario where the Spurs were hoping for him at No. 8 before this news, he is still draftable at No. 8. Having a lottery pick out with an injury is much more acceptable when you have a pair of lottery picks. Plus, with San Antonio’s long-term outlook, it makes more sense to go with their top-ranked prospect rather than picking a lower-tier player simply for immediate gratification.
The arguments in favor of writing the Nikola subject
Topic is a 6-foot-7 point guard who had a productive season in the Serbian league. His team built its entire offense around him and the teenager flourished.
The most promising trait for Topic is undoubtedly his passing. He has excellent court vision, reads defenses perfectly, passes with perfect timing and his basketball IQ is extremely high. He’s the kind of leader who knows exactly where his four teammates are on the court at all times and is ready to punish a defender who makes a misstep.
As far as scoring goes, Topic has had a lot of success in Europe driving to the lane and finishing at the rim. He’s really good at finding paths to the hoop and finishing with touch and craft. He processes the play so quickly that he knows how to beat a shot blocker before the blocker has even formulated his plan.
In terms of shooting, Topic is a nearly 90% free throw shooter, so hopefully he’ll be able to shoot straight from the field at some point.
Overall, Topic plays a smart and mature game. In theory, he could form a deadly two-way game with Victor Wembanyama.
The arguments against writing the Nikola topic
Even before he suffered a torn ACL and shortened wingspan, Topic’s scouting report had plenty of question marks.
The Serb’s lack of athleticism is concerning. While he shows some hustle when he gets to the rim, he is otherwise disappointing in the athleticism department. Defensively, his lack of speed, quickness or length are definite problems. We don’t know what type of player he could keep in the NBA.
Offensively, we know that the subject can pass but how will the rest translate? He finished well at the basket in Europe, but everything he did was below the rim. I’m not even sure he has the athleticism to rise above the edge in traffic. Finalists who succeed under the rim in the NBA are usually blessed with strength, burst, power or speed – and he is not that type of athlete.
Although he shoots free throws well, Topic doesn’t shoot anything else well. He is not a threat in the mid-range. Topic is also a poor three-point shooter at this stage of his development. His mechanics are primitive and he has trouble shooting dribbles or moves.
Although Topic has been productive in Europe, some scouts point to his team in Serbia giving him unlimited touches as one of the main reasons he was able to put up impressive numbers in the scorebook. How he will adapt to fewer touches in the NBA is another question mark.
Doctors will obviously examine his knee closely. His second injury this season was a non-contact injury, which is always scary. Based on the sources I spoke with, NBA teams are assuming he will miss the entire 2024-25 season.
Nikola Topic’s adjustment on the Spurs
If the Spurs choose subject No. 8, it could actually be considered an exciting turn of events. This would mean that San Antonio likes its duo with Wembanyama so much that they are willing to overlook his injury issues.
In the 2025-26 season, if the Spurs had not resolved their starting point guard problem by then, Topic would undoubtedly have the opportunity to win that role.
Final Thoughts on Spurs Drafting Topic Nikola
From everything I’ve heard, the Spurs never sought to draft Topic. But obviously, there’s always a chance he could quietly be their top target in this draft. Getting a tall, smart, pass-first 18-year-old point guard who shoots 90 percent from the free-throw line must be enticing — at least on paper. If Topic was their player two weeks ago, he’s probably still San Antonio’s player today.
