UCLA lands Nikola Kusturica, potential future No. 1 NBA draft pick, in recruiting coup

After months of quiet on the recruiting front, the UCLA Bruins men’s basketball team has added an intriguing wildcard at a position of need.

Nikola Kusturica, a wiry 17-year-old from Serbia with a highly advanced game for his age, may have filled the team’s massive hole at small forward after agreeing to become a Bruin.

The 6-foot-7 prospect, who turns 18 next April, won’t be eligible for the NBA draft until 2028, meaning he’s set to play two years in college. Some analysts have projected him as an NBA lottery pick.

His choosing of UCLA is a major recruiting win for coach Mick Cronin, considering other elite programs including Michigan, Kentucky and Gonzaga were also believed to be in the running for his services. The Bruins landed Kusturica after agreeing to what’s believed to be a lucrative NIL package.

Kusturica could plug in immediately as a starter, given his upside. He combines good size with natural playmaking instincts and superb shooting range, all of which were on display when he dropped 37 points on the US team during the championship game of the FIBA Under-17 World Cup earlier this week.

Before that, Kusturica was selected Most Valuable Player of the 2025 FIBA Under-16 Eurobasket tournament while leading his team to the championship. His averages of 20 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.8 blocks reflected his ability to impact a game in almost every way.

His success helped him land a spot with FC Barcelona, where he became the youngest player to appear in a game for that team in the top-level EuroLeague. His FIBA commitments are expected to delay his arrival onto campus until August.

While there will almost certainly be some growing pains in terms of Kusturica’s adjustment to the college game — particularly given his age, thin frame and need to master Cronin’s defensive concepts — his talent and enticing potential could make it hard to resist giving him a major role from Day 1.

The big question is whether Cronin will allow Kusturika to play through mistakes or yank him from games with the coach’s signature quick hook.

Slotting Kusturica as the starting small forward would also have the benefit of allowing Eric Dailey Jr. to play power forward — his best position — alongside Xavier Booker at center. Other candidates to play small forward include Eric Freeny, transfer Sergej Macura and freshman Joe Philon, but none of them has the tantalizing combination of skills possessed by Kusturica.

UCLA’s recruitment of Kusturica undoubtedly benefited from the presence of assistant coach Nemanja  “Yogi” Jovanovic, a Serbian native who leads the team’s international recruiting efforts. Forwards Filip Jović and Macura also played for a Serbian team in the Adriatic Basketball Association.

The Bruins have had mixed success recently with European prospects. Center Aday Mara was starting to blossom into a star by the end of his second season before transferring to Michigan, where he won a national title and became an NBA lottery pick. Berke Büyüktuncel, Jan Vide, Ilane Fibleuil and Abramo Canka each lasted just one season — making a negligible impact — before departing.

But Kusturica is the most coveted European player the team has landed since Mara, and his arrival significantly enhances the Bruins’ prospects for next season. He becomes UCLA’s seventh — and likely final — newcomer, joining transfers Jović, Macura, Jaylen Petty and Azavier Robinson as well as freshmen Philon and Javonte Floyd.

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