NBA

Nikola Topic injury: Will ACL injury keep him out of 2024 NBA Draft?

Published

5m ago

Jun 07, 2024 / 2922 Views

Evan Walker

Just weeks before the 2024 NBA Draft highly-rated prospect Nikola Topic has suffered a partially torn ACL, another knee injury for the young starlet.

The 6ft 6in Serbian suffered a left knee injury earlier this year, forcing him to miss four months of the Adriatic League season. Topic came back in April but managed just four games before picking up another issue on the same knee in the playoffs.

The 18-year-old is set to travel to the United States for further evaluation and his agent, Misko Raznatovic, has insisted that this latest injury should not affect the prospects chances in the NBA Draft. He told ESPN: “The doctors who checked the stability of the knee confirmed that is in excellent shape.”

Nikola Topic at the NBA Combine in Treviso:

"I haven't made any decision yet (regarding the Serbian national team). I have to see my future for next year, to make a plan for my knee and recovery. I feel good. It's not healed yet but in the near future everything should be fine" pic.twitter.com/mTOcdOPiGU
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) June 5, 2024

Who are the top picks for the 2024 NBA Draft?

Some projections have ranked Topic as high as fourth among the biggest prospects in the 2024 NBA Draft. His imposing size and playmaking talents make him one of the most sought-after players of his cohort but this latest injury will undoubtedly be cause for concern among NBA teams.

The Atlanta Hawks lucked out in the lottery this year and bagged the No. 1 overall pick, although there is no one outstanding candidate in this year’s draft. Most projections have Alex Sarr and Zachharie Risacher as the two top prospects for the 2024 NBA Draft, two talented young Frenchmen looking to make the move to the United States.

Alex Sarr is currently signed with the Perth Wildcats in the Australian National Basketball League and the 7ft 0in center could be a real defensive asset in the NBA. He’s a bundle of energy and a starring performance against the G League Ignite last year marked him out as a star in the making.

His compatriot Zacchearie Risacher is a very different prospect, a 6ft in forward who has been scoring at an impressive rate in the French league playoffs. He averaged 15.1 points and 7.4 rebounds per game across series against Nanterre and Monaco and his shooting could make him a real ‘catch-and-shoot’ threat once he’s adjusted to the physicality of the NBA.