Luka Doncic Red Star Jonathan Givony Serbia Brazil basketball shooting show ESPN STARS performer Department Luka Doncic Red Star Jonathan Givony Serbia Brazil

2024 NBA draft notebook -- Topic returns home, Filipowski's leap - ESPN

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A rare midseason transfer of an elite NBA prospect happened when Nikola Topic, the Serbian point guard ranked No. 6 in the ESPN 2024 draft rankings, was called back this week to the team he grew up with, Red Star, in the EuroLeague.

The 18-year-old is a potential top-five pick and spoke with ESPN's Jonathan Givony about his departure from Mega MIS and the similarities between Topic's game and Luka Doncic.

Also in this week's NBA draft notebook, Jeremy Woo and Givony look at why the first-round prospects are older than usual, the freshmen players who could potentially benefit from another year in college and the rise of Duke's Kyle Filipowski.

Topic's loan to Mega MIS ended prematurely this week, as he was called back to EuroLeague squad Red Star, the team he grew up with, for the remainder of the season. «My dream for many years has been to play for Red Star,» Topic told ESPN. «I grew up a fan of this club.

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