Nikola Topic's Injury Diagnosed as Partially Torn ACL; Possible Top-10 NBA Draft Pick

Nikola Topic, a projected top-10 pick in this month's NBA draft, has a partially torn ACL, his agent confirmed to ESPN's Jonathan Givony.

The injury was discovered at the NBA Draft Combine in Treviso, Italy, where Topic underwent a medical examination that included imaging.

Following a midseason transfer from Mega MIS to Red Star Belgrade, Topic suffered a left knee injury in January that forced him to miss four months of action in the Adriatic League. He managed to return in April and played three games before injuring the same knee in Game 1 of the Adriatic League playoff finals.

Givony noted that Topic is expected to travel to the U.S. in the coming days to be evaluated by NBA team doctors "who will decide on the next course of action regarding surgery and a plan moving forward." His agent said he doesn't expect the injury to have a significant impact on his draft stock.

"The doctors who checked the stability of the knee confirmed that [it] is in excellent shape," Misko Raznatovic told Givony.

Topic, who turns 19 in August, is expected to be the youngest player selected in the first round of the NBA draft. B/R's Jonathan Wasserman ranked him as the No. 3 prospect in his draft big board and predicted he would be selected fourth overall by the San Antonio Spurs in his latest mock draft.

A 6'6" point guard, Topic averaged 18.6 points and 6.9 assists across 13 games before his transfer. Despite the injury, he remains an intriguing prospect with a high ceiling who should have a bright future in the NBA.