Nikola Topić injury: Projected top-10 pick in 2024 NBA Draft could see stock fall after partially torn ACL

Projected lottery pick Nikola Topić, a potential top-five prospect in the 2024 NBA Draft, has been diagnosed with a partially torn ACL in his left knee after suffering an injury late in May during Adriatic League playoff action, his agent told ESPN. Topić sustained the injury May 27 vs. Partizan in an aggravation from a previous left knee injury from earlier this year. A timetable for his recovery at this point is unclear.

Topić’s injury was confirmed this week during the NBA’s international combine in Treviso, Italy, where he underwent imaging that revealed the extent of the tear. His agent told ESPN that his client’s draft stock is unlikely to be significantly impacted, though ACL tears typically require surgery and an extensive rehabilitation process, which could impact how teams view him in the draft later this month.

In a draft class that has largely been seen as lacking star power at the top, Topić, ranked No. 5 on the CBS Sports Big Board, is one of the few this cycle who presents massive long-term potential. He had a breakout season with Mega MIS in Serbia, averaging 18.6 points and 6.9 assists per game while emerging as one of the preeminent playmakers in the class. 

New rules in the CBA dictate that teams picking in the top half of the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft will receive Topić’s medicals in accordance with the new deal signed last year. Topić’s involvement at the Combine — which required imaging and interviews — is also a first spurred by the new CBA after top prospects in recent years opted against participating or doing so only in a limited fashion.

Teams picking near the top of the draft have a few weeks to do their own diligence and determine how, if at all, his stock might be impacted by his impending knee recovery ahead of the start of the draft on June 26. For now, instant reaction from scouts at the NBA level suggest some skepticism that his stock will be unaffected.

Draft fallout

While the initial report expressed optimism that the injury would not have a major impact on Topić’s draft stock,…

Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/nikola-topic-injury-projected-top-10-pick-in-2024-nba-draft-could-see-stock-fall-after-partially-torn-acl/

Author : Kyle Boone

Publish date : 2024-06-05 17:14:36

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