NBA Draft: Fedor Zugic Could Dominate for Creighton out of the Gate

Montenegrin wing Fedor Zugic is departing professional basketball overseas to sign an NIL deal with Creighton, and he could immediately be one of the best players in college basketball.

Nov 7, 2022; Omaha, Nebraska, USA; General view of the arena during the second half of the game between the Creighton Bluejays and the St. Thomas - Minnesota Tommies at CHI Health Center Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports / Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports

The last month alone has shown the basketball world the variety of paths available to young international prospects. Mexican star Karim Lopez left Joventut Badalona for a Next Star deal in the Australian NBL. Italian guard Dame Sarr was promoted to Barcelona’s senior team and decided to spend the season there. Earlier in the summer, Real Madrid star prospect duo of Egor Demin and Hugo Gonzalez took different paths, with Demin signing an NIL deal with BYU and Gonzalez opting to stay with Real Madrid and fight for a consistent role. 

But last week, Montenegrin wing Fedor Zugic signed an NIL deal with Creighton. Leaving German club BG Goettingen who he had spent the previous season, earning a regular spot in their rotation, after two seasons with Ratiopharm Ulm. Zugic is a steal for Creighton, and he could easily be one of the best players in college basketball next season. Zugic will be 21 by the time the season starts and is a proven professional-level scorer. He averaged 10.8 points per game on 45/36/74 shooting splits across all competitions for the 2023-24 season. 

His scoring profile is very diverse for his age. He’s a great shooter for starters. He scored 1.03 points per possession on 151 possessions tracked by Synergy Sports as a spot-up shooter last season, and 1.2 points per possession off-screens. He can make teams pay from beyond the arc in a variety of ways. 

Zugic was also efficient running pick-and-rolls, in transition, and in isolation. If teams start to overplay his 3-point shot he’s more than comfortable attacking the rim where he’s got good core strength and balance, allowing him to muscle his way inside and still finish with touch. He shot 56 percent at the rim last season on 159 attempts. 

Zugic will not draw the hype of top prospects such as Cooper Flagg, Ace Bailey, VJ Edgecombe, and others due to his age and already having an established identity among the scouting class. Zugic was a late withdrawal from the 2024 NBA Draft. But his impact could be similar, and should Zugic’s NIL move be successful - he dominates and fashions out an NBA career or returns to Europe to be a borderline All-EuroLeague level player - this path could be one many young European prospects begin to take. 

By taking an NIL deal at the age of 21 Zugic puts himself far ahead of his fellow freshmen on the court, will make more money, and potentially get a degree all while lining up the potential end of his college career for the likely beginning of his professional prime. It’s unlikely he’d be a high draft pick at the age of 25 but if he’s spent the last four years dominating college basketball he’ll be a surefire first-rounder perceived as someone who could help NBA teams on day one. 

Development paths and opportunities continue to blossom and expand every year, and in the years to come we’ll begin to learn which moves are best for prospects and which aren’t. Currently, NIL and Next Star deals seem to easily be the best choice for upcoming prospects both on the court and off it.

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