What happened to Nikola Topic? Closer look at projected lottery pick's latest injury concern

NBA draft prospect Nikola Topic reportedly suffered a partially torn ACL while participating in the NBA draft combine in Italy on Wednesday. The news couldn't have come at a worse time for the prospect given that the first round of the draft is on Jun. 26. According to an initial report from Jonathan Givony of ESPN, league doctors were able to perform an exam on the Serbian prospect.

Topic's agent, Misko Raznatovic, told Givony that the draft prospect underwent an MRI to assess the damage. It's unclear whether Topic will undergo surgery. An ESPN report indicated that he will travel to the U.S. to figure out a course of treatment.

Despite the partial ACL tear, the report also included a quote from Raznatovic regarding the severity of the injury.

"The doctors who checked the stability of the knee confirmed that is in excellent shape," Raznatovic was quoted as saying.

The question is whether Topic's team is trying to minimize the severity of the situation to protect his draft stock. According to Raznatovic, the young prospect's team doesn't believe his situation will negatively impact his draft stock. However, whether or not teams agree remains to be seen.

Looking at Nikola Topic's injury before the latest ACL tear

Although Nikola Topic's agent has given optimistic news, it is the second time in the last twelve months the guard has dealt with injuries. In January, a left knee injury forced the NBA hopeful to the sidelines for four months following a transfer to Red Star Belgrade.

After the lengthy layoff, Topic made his long-awaited debut for Belgrade, in April. However, his return was short-lived. After just three games for the team, he suffered a setback to his left knee in the playoffs.

He remained a top prospect in the NBA draft, with various mock drafts putting him inside the top 10. For example, CBS Sports has Topic positioned to go to San Antonio with the fourth pick, while Yahoo has him going 11th to Chicago.

When healthy, Topic has shown that he can be a difference-maker. However, his recent stretch of injuries could be concerning heading into the draft. Per the NBA's new Collective Bargaining Agreement, every team inside of the top 15 will be given a medical report on Topic for draft night.

With plenty of questions regarding his course of treatment, it will be interesting to see how things play out before Round 1 of the draft on Jun. 26.