Nikola Topic, a potential top-five pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, suffered a left knee injury on Monday. Topic was injured on a non-contact play after an awkward landing following making a pass. An MRI showed Topic suffered a sprained knee.

Topic is expected to miss the remainder of the ABA Finals due to the injury. Topic is expected to be a full participant in workouts in June, ahead of the draft.

The 6-foot-6 point guard was injured in Game 1 of the Adriatic League finals. Topic had returned to Crvena Zvezda after spending the early part of the season playing for Mega Bemax.

Topic is considered a top-five pick by most draft experts. Some even have him in consideration to go as high as the second pick. The 18-year-old missed four-and-a-half months earlier this season with an injury to same knee he injured on Monday.

While the Houston Rockets were linked with a trade pursuit of Mikal Bridges back in January, they were also seeking a way to convert some of their future picks into picks that stretch further out into the future.

During that trade discussion, the Rockets offered the Brooklyn Nets their own first round picks back to them in exchange for the picks from the Phoenix Suns.

The Nets declined that scenario as they were pursuing a spot in the playoffs last season.

The Rockets ultimately held onto Brooklyn's pick in the 2024 draft and it moved up in the lottery to No. 3. 

Houston could reach out to other teams with a similar stockpile of picks such as the Utah Jazz or the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Rockets traded James Harden to the Nets in 2021 for unprotected first round picks in 2022, 2024 and 2026, along with pick swaps in 2021, 2023, 2025 and 2027. Brooklyn subsequently traded Kevin Durant to the Suns in 2023 for first round picks in 2023, 2025, 2027 and 2029, as well as a pick swap in 2028.

LeBron James has deemphasized the importance of playing alongside his son, Bronny James, both in public comments and the reporting surrounding the situation. Bronny James' draft standing has come into question over the past few months after a cardiac situation last summer and an uneven season at USC.

The Los Angeles Lakers do have interest in adding Bronny James to their roster, but they are not preparing to use their first round pick on him.

"I think if the Lakers have an opportunity to draft Bronny James, they will do so. Whether that's with the 55th pick, or if they make another deal around the draft where they pick up another pick, I think they will try. I don't think it is going to be their top priority. I don't think the league right now is looking at this like if you draft Bronny James and you can get LeBron."

The Memphis Grizzlies are expected to evaluate trade opportunities for the No. 9 overall pick, sources tell Zach Lowe of ESPN.

The Grizzlies are treating their 23-24 season as a gap of year of sorts as Ja Morant began the season suspended and then suffered a season-ending injury. The Grizzlies could look to turn the lottery pick into a veteran contributor.

Memphis, however, isn't determined to trading the pick and instead "will look at everything."

With the 2024 NBA draft considered one of the weaker ones in recent memory, the trade packages for No. 9 could be limited. 

Bronny James has been medically cleared by the NBA's Fitness to Play Panel. That means James is fully cleared to participate in the 2024 NBA Draft process.

Last summer, James went into cardiac arrest. It was discovered he had a congenital heart defect and he had surgery to repair to it. James then spent several months recovering before making his collegiate debut on December 10.

The 6-foot-4 guard then played 25 games for the Trojans in his freshman season. James averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 19.4 minutes per game.

After being medically cleared, James is expected to stay in the draft. He has until May 29 to withdraw from the draft and to return to play college basketball.

The Houston Rockets had some luck in the 2024 NBA Draft Lottery. The Rockets, who got their pick from the Brooklyn Nets in the James Harden trade in 2021, moved from the ninth overall pick to the third overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

Now, Houston GM Rafael Stone is expected to shop the third pick in trade talks to bring in a veteran player. The Rockets signed several veteran free agents in the 2023 offseason. Those players helped Houston improve from 22 wins in 2022-23 to 41 wins in 2023-24.

In addition to adding the vets, the Rockets still have a good young core. That has Houston looking at options for more win-now help, as opposed to adding another young player to the core of Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green, Jabari Smith II, Amen Thompson and Tari Eason.

The NBA held its 2024 draft lottery in Chicago on Sunday with the Atlanta Hawks winning the top overall pick. The Hawks entered the lottery with just a three percent chance of securing the top pick.

After a handful of clerical errors were corrected, over 200 players declared as Early Entry Candidates for the 2024 NBA Draft. Six additional players were added to the list, including potential draftees Walter Clayton Jr. (Florida), Caleb Love (Arizona), Ugonna Onyenso (Kentucky) and Hunter Sallis (Wake Forest).

You can find the full list of 2024 Early Entry Candidates here.

Of the previously announced players, there were no real surprises. All of the players (both college and international) that have featured as lottery picks in mock drafts, declared as Early Entry Candidates.

NCAA players have until Wednesday, May 29 to withdraw from the draft while maintaining NCAA eligibility. The NBA's withdrawal deadline for all other players is Sunday, June 16.

The 2024 NBA Draft will be held over two nights for the first time. The first round will be Wednesday, June 26. The second round will be Thursday, June 27.

There's been a lot made about LeBron James desire to play with his son Bronny in the NBA. The elder James once said that was a goal of his before his career ends. Now, it seems like both father and son, and their representatives, are focused on each having success independently.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that after conversations with Rich Paul, he no longer believes that LeBron James is insisting he has to play with Bronny.

"The idea of them playing together is not a priority, it's not foremost, at least any longer, in LeBron James' mind," Wojnarowski reported.

That seems to indicate that LeBron James and his agent Rich Paul will do what's best for him without forcing a team to draft his son in the 2024 NBA Draft.

As for Bronny James, the priority is to get him in the best situation for his own development.

"Rich Paul's goal here in the pre-draft process for Bronny James is to see if there's the right developmental system or organization, a place that can take a young player like Bronny James, who went five months without playing after his heart episode certainly limited him in his season at USC," Wojnarowski said. "If he does go in the draft, he very likely would spend next year in the G League."

The Los Angeles Lakers are "very open" to adding Bronny James to their roster next season and could potentially draft him.

Bronny James is evaluating his options after his freshman season at USC, which includes declaring for the draft or transferring to another school. Bronny was a projected lottery pick in the 2024 NBA draft before his cardiac arrest and disappointing freshman season with USC. Bronny was moved by ESPN from the lottery in 2024 to the second round in 2025 in their mock drafts.

LeBron James is expected to be a free agent this offseason and has spoken about his desire to play on the same team as Bronny in the NBA.