Projected lottery pick Nikola Topić said Tuesday that he is still recovering from a knee injury sustained on May 13 while playing with Crvena zvezda, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN.
Topić suffered the non-contact injury against Partizan in Game 1 of the ABA League Finals and had to be helped off the court by teammates. He missed the remainder of the series and was diagnosed with a left knee sprain by team doctors.
The 18-year-old provided the update at a predraft event for international prospects in Treviso, Italy. He will not be participating in on-court scrimmages but is expected to meet with teams and conduct medical testing in the event.
Nikola Topic at the NBA Draft Combine in Treviso, Italy, when asked about his knee injury:
"I'm not 100% healed. I haven't started running or practicing with the basketball. I'm focusing on rehab, on my body and knee." pic.twitter.com/xL0JsMzkPy
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) June 4, 2024
Topić missed four months after suffering a ligament injury to the same knee earlier this season in January. He returned on April 22 and made four appearances before his latest setback, averaging 5.5 points, 2.8 assists, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.5 steals.
The 6-foot-6 guard was named the ABA League Top Prospect after averaging 15 points, 5.7 assists and 3.4 rebounds on 49.8% shooting from the field in 22 games this season. He joined Nikola Jokić, Goga Bitadze and Nikola Jović as previous players to win the award.
Topić is projected to be a high pick after dazzling this season in a limited sample size. He brings great size to the next level and is likely more advanced than other prospects, given his professional experience in Serbia, which started when he was 16.
The 2024 NBA draft will take place June 26-27 in New York City.
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