Sources: UCLA lands possible top NBA draft pick

Serbian forward Nikola Kusturica reached a multiyear agreement to play for UCLA, giving the Bruins arguably the best European prospect in his age group and an early contender for the No. 1 pick in the 2028 NBA draft. Kusturica, who only turned 17 years old in April, is two years away from being eligible for the NBA. His commitment ended a recruitment that experienced several twists over the last month, with Kentucky briefly considered the leader and Michigan generating momentum before Dusty May left for the Dallas Mavericks.

Gonzaga also was involved in the recruitment process. Kusturica, standing at 6-foot-8, had outstanding performances at the recent FIBA Under-17 World Cup in Türkiye, where he earned a spot on the tournament's All-Star Five team after averaging 24.6 points and 6.9 rebounds across seven games. He also secured the Best Defensive Player award, contributing 2.3 steals and 1.7 blocks per game. Notably, Kusturica scored 37 points and grabbed nine rebounds during Serbia's loss to the United States in the gold medal game.

The recent accomplishment followed his MVP honors last August at the FIBA U16 EuroBasket, where he averaged 20.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 3.4 assists over seven games, culminating in a gold medal for Serbia. Kusturica had been part of the FC Barcelona system since 2023 and became the youngest player ever to compete for the club's first team when he made his competitive debut in September 2025.

Despite being so young, Kusturica is expected to have an immediate impact under Mick Cronin at UCLA. The Bruins are set to return three starters from last year's 24-12 team while welcoming four transfers from other power-conference programs, including fellow Europeans Filip Jovic and Sergej Macura.