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Nikola Topic finds himself as one of the top-rated guards teams are wanting to get more information about ahead of the 2024 NBA Draft. Organizations not only want to know more about his skills ahead of the draft, but they have also been seeking more information on a non-contact knee injury Topic suffered in the playoffs for his European club just several weeks ago.
Initially, it was reported that Topic suffered a sprained left knee that would keep him sidelined for the remainder of the championship series. At the NBA's Draft Combine in Italy, Topic's agent, Misko Raznatovic, revealed that his client has a partially torn ACL, according to ESPN's Jonathan Givony. Raznatovic told ESPN that he doesn't expect this injury to have a major impact on the Serbian guard's draft stock due to his youth and the feedback received from doctors that have reviewed his MRI in the United States.
After missing four months of action with a left knee injury he suffered in January, Topic returned for three games in April before suffering his recent non-contact injury in Game 1 of the Adriatic League playoff finals. Now, Topic will travel to the US this week in order to be evaluated by NBA doctors in order to determine what his recovery plan and surgery look like.
This is a significant development just about three weeks ahead of the 2024 NBA Draft, as Topic is currently ranked No. 7 overall on ClutchPoints' latest 2024 NBA Draft Big Board 3.0. He is projected to go fourth overall to the San Antonio Spurs in ClutchPoints' 2024 NBA Mock Draft 2.0.
Although Topic and his camp do not believe this injury will impact his draft stock, teams picking inside the Top 10 will now have to contemplate whether or not they want to risk selecting the talented guard ahead of others. Stephon Castle, Reed Sheppard, and Rob Dillingham are three other guards who have all been labeled as top-10 guard prospects in this draft class.
The Spurs, who own the fourth and eighth overall selections in this year's draft, have long been viewed as the most likely destination for Topic. As they look for immediate roster upgrades to place next to Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio may very much consider their other options outside of Topic with both of their top-10 picks. The Detroit Pistons, Portland Trail Blazers, and Charlotte Hornets are three other teams that have had rumored interest in Topic during the pre-draft process.
At this time, there is no timetable for when Topic will be back on the court. That is something that will be discussed once he sees medical professionals in the US prior to the NBA Draft at the end of the month.
Still just 18 years old and not set to turn 19 until August, Topic offers some of the highest upside in this year's draft. He is undoubtedly one of the best playmakers, and his length at the guard position makes Topic a very attractive name for various NBA organizations. While this is certainly a setback for Topic, his overall upside as one of the draft's better talents remains. Various teams will continue to gather medical records and information on Topic before the draft on June 26.
