Projected NBA lottery pick Nikola Topić has a partially torn ACL in his left knee.
Topic’s agent Misko Raznatovic confirmed the diagnosis to ESPN on Wednesday. Topić, 18, was a projected top-5 pick prior to the news of his injury. Yahoo Sports’ Krysten Peek dropped him from No. 4 to No. 11 in her latest mock draft after it was previously announced he had an unspecified knee injury.
It’s unclear how news of his ACL tear will affect his position in the June 26 draft. Given Topić’s youth and long-term upside, the injury may not cause him to fall out of the lottery.
A knee injury in January initially sidelined Topić for three months. He returned to action for Red Star Belgrade of the Adriatic League in April, playing three matches before re-injuring his knee. It has now been revealed that the injury is an ACL tear.
Topić is a 6-6 point guard and has the upside of being a high-level playmaker with plus size in the NBA. In 12 games with Serbian side Mega MIS this season, Topić averaged 18.4 points, 7.1 assists, 3.6 rebounds and one steal per game while shooting 52.3% from the field, 85.5% from free throw line and 25.9% from 3.
News of Topić’s injury was revealed after he underwent a medical examination at the NBA draft organization in Treviso, Italy. According to ESPN, he will then travel to the US for further evaluation by NBA team doctors, who will advise him on his next course of action, which could include surgery.
