NBA Draft: Nikola Topic’s Return Could Boost 2024 Stock
Projected top-five pick Nikola Topic made his long-awaited return from injury this week.
Nikola Topic, one of the top prospects in the 2024 NBA Draft pool, made his long-awaited return from a knee injury on Monday.
The 6-foot-6 point guard has had a rollercoaster year, beginning his season with Mega MIS in the Adriatic league before transferring to EuroLeague’s Crvena zvezda and suffering a knee injury shortly after.
In his first game back since early January — a bout versus Studentski centar in the ABA — Topic scored eight points, grabbed two rebounds, nabbed one steal and dished an assists in just over 15 minutes.
Perhaps most importantly, Topic was able to knock down two triples Monday, one of the key points scouts will be looking at without a consistent sample of successful shooting so far.
Per Draft Digest’s earlier scouting report: “He also has a smooth jumper that should translate well at the next level. Especially with NBA spacing, he should be an even more effective off-ball player when he’s not the primary facilitator.”
Thus far, Topic has proven his talent can exceed the ABA. In 12 games with Mega, he poured on 18.4 points, 7.1 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 52% overall. And his two-game ABA stint with Crvena zvezda was similarly good.
Topic was able to play just two EuroLeague games before his knee injury, though, failing to really stand out in both games. Still, as a slippery point guard with keen passing ability, he likely won’t need much time.
Remarkably, Topic will be still-18 when draft night rolls around, so his flashes in professional leagues across the globe may already be enough if teams buy into his upside at 6-foot-6 with a reported but unconfirmed 7-foot wingspan.
Topic is sure to get a few more chances at playing prior to enrolling for the 2024 NBA Draft, and organizations will likely be watching closely.
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