NBA Draft Rumors: Nikola Topic could take a tumble after it's revealed he has a partially torn ACL in his knee.
Nikola Topic, a highly touted point guard from Serbia and a projected top 10 player in the 2024 NBA Draft, is revealed to have a partially torn ACL, it was reported by ESPN Wednesday. He originally suffered a knee injury in January, which forced him to miss four months, and then reinjured the same knee in April. Now that it's reported Topic indeed has an ACL injury, Topic is expected to head to the US to meet with team doctors to determine what his next steps will be.
While there remains some uncertainty as it pertains to his rehab plan, Topic's agent Misko Raznatovic believes his client's knee is in "excellent shape" and that this injury shouldn't impact where he's drafted in the 2024 NBA Draft. Of course, there's no guarantee that will happen and, on the contrary, it's only natural for teams to be a bit spooked about this injury heading into the final two weeks before the NBA Draft.
Nikola Topic could emerge as a non-lottery steal in the 2024 NBA Draft
Before the season-ending injury in the finals of the Adriatic League playoffs, Topic was playing extremely well while averaging around 15 points, six assists, and three rebounds per game while shooting 49.8% from the field. His excellent performance in the ABA earned him the prestigious ABA League Top Prospect award.
A big reason why Topic is viewed as such a promising prospect is his combination of size, passing, and rim finishing. At 6-foot-6, Topic is an excellent playmaker who utilizes his size and ball-handling ability to get to the rim at will. Whichever team picks him will hope that he can be the engine of 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 the Utah Jazz, both in need of a point guard, may be willing to gamble on him if his medical evaluations are favorable. However, the road ahead will be challenging, and Topic's draft stock will hinge on the severity of the injury and his ability to convince teams that he can stay healthy and fulfill his potential.