NBA Draft

NBA Draft: Nikola Topic Avoids Major Injury

Serbian guard Nikola Topic avoided disaster after suffering a knee injury Monday.

Derek Parker

May 12, 2024; Chicago, IL, USA; Representatives of the 14 NBA teams wait to go on stage during the
May 12, 2024; Chicago, IL, USA; Representatives of the 14 NBA teams wait to go on stage during the / David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
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After missing the majority of his EuroLeague season due to a knee injury, Nikola Topic suffered another one against Partizan on Monday, needing to be carried off the court.

Luckily, according to a report from ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, Topic avoided serious injury, suffering a left knee sprain that will likely keep him form the remainder of the Adriatic League finals. Givony reported that the guard will be a full participant in NBA pre-draft activities in June.

It’s great news for 18-year-old Topic, as suffering multiple serious knee injuries would undoubtedly have a high impact on his 2024 draft stock.

Topic burst onto the scene this year with Mega in the ABA, averaging 18.4 points, 7.1 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game in 12 contests. He then played just four games — two in the ABA and two in the Euroleague with Crvena zvezda — before suffering the first knee injury.

Right now, it’s likely that Topic has top-five stock among the class as one of the top point guard options. He’s lengthy and has the cerebral EuroLeague style that’s sent several successful ball-handlers to the league.

Per Draft Digest's earlier writing on Topic: "He can finish with either hand effectively inside the painted area. The 6-foot-6 lead guard is an elite playmaker and is a great operator out of the pick and roll. Topic is a really good offensive prospect which is the reason why he’s projected to be drafted so high in the 2024 NBA Draft."

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Derek Parker
DEREK PARKER

Derek is co-founder and publisher for Draft Digest and Inside The Thunder for Fan Nation, powered by Sports Illustrated. He has been a sports writer in the Oklahoma City market for five years now, primarily covering the NBA Draft and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

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