The 2024 NBA Draft will be held on Wednesday, June 26th and Thursday, June 27th. Our resident draft expert Bryant has semi-retired from draft scouting, so we won’t have his usual in-depth breakdowns to rely on. So we’re going to do our draft coverage a little differently this year. We’ll present some prospects, share some highlight videos, and share some general thoughts before opening it up to the group to discuss.
Today we are reviewing Nikola Topic, an intriguing player who may not even be available at the 13th pick.
NBA Position: Guard
General Info: 18-years-old, played at KK Mega Basket and Crvena zvezda of the Serbian KLS. From Novi Sad, Serbia.
Measurables: 6’6″, 200 lbs, 6’8″ wingspan (Note: I could not find official measurements for Topic, so I am using measurements listed by The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor)
2023-2024 Season Statistics (Crvena zvezda): 14.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 5.0 APG, 0.0 SPG, 0.5 BPG, 2.5 TPG (2 games played, 31.0 minutes per game), 39.1% FG, 30.0% 3P, 88.9% FT
2023-2024 Season Statistics (KK Mega Basket): 18.4 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 7.1 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 3.2 TPG (12 games played, 33.8 minutes per game), 52.3% FG, 25.9% 3P, 85.5% FT
Most mock drafts have Nikola Topic going several picks higher than 13th. Our friend Brett Huff’s Consensus Big Board (which compiles all the mock drafts out there to give us an average placement among the experts) currently has Topic 3rd overall, to the point where it seems silly for us to even look at him. And yet, there’s reason to believe he could slide a bit. The Ringer’s latest mock draft has him down to 8th, and ESPN’s Jonathan Givony reported Wednesday that Topic has been diagnosed with a partially torn ACL. Topic had missed considerable time this past season with a knee injury, and re-injured his knee shortly after returning to action. Concerns over multiple serious knee injuries at such a young age could be a reason for the Kings to be wary of Topic, but could also be the reason that a prospect like Topic could slide to the 13th pick. Should such a slide happen, it could be reminiscent of Michael Porter Jr sliding to the 15th pick and being snatched up by the Denver Nuggets.
Topic would be an imperfect but interesting fit with the Kings. He’s more of a guard, but has great size. 6’6″ with a 6’8″ wingspan, Topic creates mostly with the ball in his hands, and while he doesn’t look particularly fluid with the ball, he’s effective at navigating through defenses and finding the basket. The craftiness despite eye-popping athleticism is reminiscent of several other Euro stars who have made an impact in the NBA.
Despite the injuries, I’d be shocked if Topic actually falls to the 13th pick. The Spurs have both the 4th and 8th picks, and can afford to be patient as they build long term around Wemby. Even if Topic slips past the Spurs, he’d make a ton of sense for the Jazz at 10 or the Thunder (not based on need, but because OKC just grabs talented guys at every opportunity) at 12. Even if Topic is available at 13, I’m not sure Monte McNair would select him, as Topic is a big upside swing who will likely need a year or two before he can make a significant impact in the NBA. But sometimes the opportunity to add such a talented young player with upside is too good to pass up.
