Is Nikola Topic from Serbia about to be the name that everyone’s buzzing about for the first name off the board at the 2024 NBA Draft?
There seems to be no clear No. 1 — ESPN’s latest mock had Isaiah Collier from USC going first. In our second mock from Bryan Kalbrosky, Topic was the No. 18 player taken in the first round.
But in SB Nation’s latest mock draft, Topic is first off the board to the Detroit Pistons. Why is that? How did he go from a first-rounder to maybe first overall? Is this a sign of things to come?
Here’s the reasoning from the site’s Ricky O’Donnell:
In an underwhelming draft class, Topic’s awesome production in the Adriatic league has positioned him as my early front-runner for the No. 1 pick. The success of Luka Doncic and Alperen Sengun has shown that dominating a European league at a young age in your pre-draft year is a major precursor for NBA success. Topic’s combination of size and speed for a lead guard helps him pass the eye test even without a plus jumper, and his overall production is the reason he deserves serious consideration for the first pick.
There you have it! Don’t forget to check out our latest NBA Mock Draft from Kalbrosky!