NBA Draft News: Projected Top 10 Pick Has Torn ACL

Projected top 10 pick in this month’s NBA Draft, Nikola Topic, has suffered a partially torn ACL. Topic’s agent, Misko Raznatovic, confirmed the news to ESPN on Wednesday.

It’s unclear how the news will impact his draft status, however Raznatovic doesn’t expect his client’s draft stock to drop.

“The doctors who checked the stability of the knee confirmed that is in excellent shape,” Raznatovic said.

ESPN’s Jonathan Givon added that Topic will travel to the U.S. in the coming days and be evaluated by NBA team doctors, who will call the shots on his next recovery step regarding surgery and a plan moving forward.

The 18-year-old was at the NBA Draft Combine in Treviso, Italy, where he underwent an NBA medical examination. While this injury is a significant blow, it isn’t the first time Topic has suffered a knee injury. In January, Topic was forced to miss four games in the Adriatic League following a midseason transfer from Mega MIS to Red Star Belgrade due to a left knee injury.

Topic returned to the court for three games before injuring the same knee in Game 1 of the Adriatic League playoff finals. It’s not an excellent start for Topic thus far into his NBA career, and he will likely need to wait until midway through the season at best to get a taste of the pro level.

In the latest ESPN NBA mock draft, Topic was mocked at No. 7 overall, taken by the Portland Trail Blazers. He is 6-foot-7 and has incredible size, great playmaking ability, and a high ceiling to potentially be a high-level point guard in the NBA.

Topic was a standout player with the Mega MIS, averaging 18.6 points, 6.9 assists, and 3.6 assists per game while shooting 65 percent from the field, 29 percent from behind the arc, and 85 percent from the free throw line.

The NBA Draft will be a two-day event this time around, held in New York City on June 26 and 27. The first day of the draft will be held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, home of the Brooklyn Nets. The second day of the draft will be the next day at ESPN’s studio in lower Manhattan.

Topic has played for the Basketball League of Serbia, the ABA League, and the EuroLeague. The 18-year-old is a two-time ABA League champion, Serbian Cup winner, ABA League Top Prospect, and member of the All-ABA League Team in 2024. The point guard has the potential to be a great player in the NBA, but only if he remains healthy.