By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Heading to the 2024 NBA draft, projected to be among the top selections, promising guard Nikola Topic is expected to reunite with Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet.
Following rumors over recent days, the news was reported by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony on Tuesday.
Topic, 18, was loaned to Mega MIS before the 2023-24 season. Joining a team famous for developing players, especially NBA prospects, he averaged 18.6 points, 6.9 assists, 3.7 rebounds, 0.9 steals, and 0.2 blocks per contest over 13 appearances in the 2023-24 edition of the AdmiralBet ABA League. He made 52.4% of his field-goal attempts, including 17/59 three-pointers.
A youth product of Crvena Zvezda, his professional career also features a loan spell at OKK Belgrade, besides three games played in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and 18 showings in the ABA League as a member of Zvezda. Representing Serbia, he was named MVP and captured a gold medal in the 2023 FIBA U18 European Championship.
Carrying a 6-10 record, the team coached by Giannis Sfairopoulos currently sits 14th in the EuroLeague standings. A distance of three games separates the Belgrade club from the Play-In zone. At the regional level, a 12-1 tally leads ABA, two games ahead of Cedevita Olimpija and three games away from archrival Partizan Mozzart Bet.
Following recent roster adjustments, Joel Bolomboy, Dejan Davidovac, Yago Dos Santos, Rokas Giedraitis, Adam Hanga, Stefan Lazarevic, Branko Lazic, Luka Mitrovic, Nemanja Nedovic, Dalibor Ilic, Marko Simonovic, Milos Teodosic, and Mike Tobey shape the squad.
Photo Credit: FIBA.BASKETBALL