With the NBA Draft now just a few weeks away, all eyes are on the prospects who could be scooped up by teams across the league.
One of the names talked about most is Serbian player Nikola Topic, who has recently made some noise and generated a good deal of buzz.
But his road to the NBA just got complicated because he has a partially torn ACL, according to Jonathan Givony, via NBACentral.
BREAKING: Nikola Topic has a partially torn ACL, per @DraftExpress pic.twitter.com/vDVgy19hgD
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 5, 2024
Topic is at the NBA Draft Combine in Italy right now and recently underwent a medical examination by the league.
Imaging showed damage to his ACL but that doesn’t mean his draft chances are ruined.
Instead, he will probably still be picked in the draft, possibly in the first round, because he is very young and usually quite healthy.
Still, uncertainty around him remains.
In the next few days, Topic will come to the United States and will be evaluated by NBA team doctors.
After they get a good look at him, they will choose the path forward for Topic.
At 6-foot-7 and with plenty of playmaking abilities, Topic is a name to watch before the draft.
He has been ranked as a high pick repeatedly and although he could still be sought after, he might slip down a bit in the draft because of this injury.
How will that affect other young players trying to get into the league?
Injuries like this can sometimes radically shake up the draft so Topic’s mishap could create ripples across the league and the rookie class.
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