Serbian Prodigy Amazes Americans! Kusturica Seen as Top 3 Draft Pick, Here's Where He Excels Over Peers, and What Scouts Say He Must Urgently Improve! /VIDEO/

Reports from the United States indicate that a renowned college is offering the Serbian national team player a two-year contract worth an astonishing $12 million through a NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) package. The sheer magnitude of this figure for a player his age is highlighted by the fact that it significantly surpasses the salary of Vasilije Micić, currently the highest-paid EuroLeague player at Hapoel, earning $5.6 million per season.

At the World Championship in Turkey, Americans recognized Kusturica's playing ability as fully on par with, and perhaps even more mature than, their top talents. This immediately sparked a significant debate in their media regarding the substantial sum UCLA is preparing to offer the young Serb.

Aaron Torres, a well-known college basketball analyst, dedicated a special episode on his YouTube channel to the Serbian guard, explaining to the public why this astronomical figure of $12 million actually makes perfect sense for the UCLA Bruins.

For him, the question isn't whether $12 million sounds excessive, but rather if UCLA, as a program, can afford to miss out on a player of such caliber. Offering such a large sum upfront merely demonstrates the commitment of coach Mick Cronin and his coaching staff.

While all relevant sources in America report that the Bruins have completed a significant portion of the deal, the contract has not yet been signed. Insider Dylan Topmiller from Kentucky is tempering expectations, revealing when the public can expect a final decision.

However, UCLA holds a significant advantage over other wealthy colleges that might attempt to "steal" Kusturica at the last minute. Serbian coach Nemanja Jovanović, who is also a member of our cadet national team's coaching staff, works at this university. The fact that Kusturica would have one of his main mentors on campus is a key asset for the renowned college.

American experts explain that Kusturica could have easily stayed another season in the EuroLeague to develop, but he has already reached his ceiling for his age group on the Old Continent – even though we haven't truly seen him in senior basketball. Moving to UCLA represents an express path to the NBA. Through two years of playing at a top college level, he will fully adapt to the American style of basketball, and the university, in turn, will receive two years of top-tier on-court production.

The young Serbian international possesses excellent height and wingspan for his position, immediately and undoubtedly passing the famous "eye test" for all NBA scouts. He is a player who can score equally effectively from outside and in the paint, and he is particularly dangerous and convincing when breaking through the first line of defense. In these situations, Kusturica perfectly combines excellent ball control, a lightning-quick first step, and his impressive physical dimensions to rapidly gain ground on the court and finish plays. It's no surprise then that he attempted 59 free throws in seven games!

Ultimately, American analysts emphasize that he is a basketball player with an exceptionally high basketball IQ who consistently demonstrates serious playmaking instincts on the court, making him one of the most sought-after young players on the planet, according to American reports. What does he need to improve? His three-point shot, first and foremost. At the World Championship, he only made one out of four attempts (13/50), while in the semifinals and finals, he only hit two threes out of 20 attempts – 0/9 against Turkey and 2/11 against the USA! He should also work on his defense, but that's coach Mick Cronin's specialty.

Yes, the risk is enormous, but the reward Nikola could receive is worth every penny invested. Our basketball player is already projected as the third pick in the 2028 NBA Draft. The number one pick is expected to be Clarence Rosser Junior, who won gold with the USA team on Sunday in Istanbul. Immediately below him is the MVP of the recently concluded U17 World Championship, center Joakim Bumtje Bumtje, who has already committed to Duke University, where he is expected to receive between $8 and $10 million per season.

Bumtje and Kusturica played together at Barcelona, where they were brought into the first team at the start of the 2025/26 season by Joan Peñarroya, then the coach of the Catalan club and now the head coach of Partizan.

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