This post was updated July 19 at 11:59 p.m.
For the first time since 2023, UCLA men’s basketball brought in a five-star freshman recruit, with guard/forward Nikola Kusturica set to join the Bruins ahead of the 2026-27 season from FC Barcelona Bàsquet. The projected top-three 2028 NBA Draft pick signed with UCLA on a reported two-year, $12 million contract after most recently participating in the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup from June 27 to July 5. Kusturica helped lead Serbia to a silver-medal finish, posting 37 points against Team USA in the championship game. Daily Bruin Sports editor Jacob Nguyen breaks down what UCLA fans can expect to see from Kusturica in Westwood.
[Related: Serbian star Nikola Kusturica joins UCLA men’s basketball roster]
Relentless penetration
Kusturica’s most apparent strength is his interior scoring.
Boasting effective downhill speed, the 2025 FIBA U16 Eurobasket MVP should fit seamlessly alongside guards rising junior Trent Perry and rising sophomore Jaylen Petty.
UCLA’s new-look starting backcourt will benefit from the off-ball fluidity of Kusturica, who effectively uses 45-cuts and timely baseline drives for easy buckets at the rim. Kusturica also has potential in small-ball lineups with a 6-foot-8 frame that allows him to slip screens in pick-and-roll action to beat out slower bigs.
The 17-year-old wing also brings exemplary vertical spacing and projects to be a strong lob threat if he uses his athleticism to meet defenders at the rim. At 187 pounds, Kusturica’s lanky frame also allows him to get around opposing contests with ease.
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In the clip above, Kusturica catches the inbound pass at the top of the arc and immediately enters a pick-and-roll. Facing a double-team, he splits the hard hedge and wraps around the low man to finish through a bump.
While Kusturica may benefit from putting on more strength and weight, especially if he enters the NBA, he still possesses the ability to draw contact and finish on both sides of the rim with either hand. In the U17 World Cup, he drew 8.4 free throws per game, drilling them with 72.9% accuracy.
Secondary creator
Kusturica is unlikely to be UCLA’s go-to on-ball scorer, but that does not mean there are not flashes of talent.
While he does not have the fastest twitch in the world, Kusturica’s ability to change pace mid-possession consistently gives him the advantage to get to the rim and put up shots. In both the U17 and U16 tournaments, the Novi Sad, Serbia, local shot above 60% on 2-pointers.
The youngest player to ever play for FC Barcelona owns a deep bag of Euro steps, crossovers and other viable counter moves that elevate his downhill scoring. His biggest weapon as a scorer will be his rim-running and athleticism, as he often opts for hitting opponents with a combination of attacks to get to the basket. In his most recent tournament, Kusturica ranked fourth in overall scoring with an average of 24.6 points per game.
Other teams will face a tall task in preventing an athletic tandem of Kusturica and rising senior guard/forward Eric Dailey Jr. from pushing the pace, as both wings have a knack for getting out in transition and capitalizing in open space. Kusturica, especially, is skilled at leaking out early before rebounds are even fully secured to get ahead of the defense.
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While not an overwhelming part of his game, Kusturica has also shown flashes of off-the-dribble jumpers. In the clip above, Kusturica meets his defender with a quick post spin into a short step-back midrange shot.
Shooting inconsistencies
If you watch just highlights, it is easy to project Kusturica as a potent three-level scorer.
But for every astounding highlight he puts up, Kusturica has several questionable plays.
In his most recent bout of international competition, Kusturica took 7.1 3-point attempts per game, but he only knocked down 26% of them. Last year, in the U16 Eurobasket tournament, he shot 30.8% from deep on an average of 5.6 attempts per game.
Kusturica does not boast the fastest release in the world either. His mechanics, while not egregious, involve a slightly awkward tendency to bring the ball up from the side of his head, as opposed to directly up and in front.
The 17-year-old is still young, and it is hard to pass up the physical talents he possesses.
So while he will come to UCLA with a decently stable jumper off the catch, Kusturica’s next step of progression should be addressing some of his questionable shot attempts. At multiple points in the U17 Eurobasket World Cup, he could be seen taking ill-advised step-backs or other deep 3-pointers with out fully set bases.
But if there is any optimism, it is that Kusturica’s longer wingspan enables him to get shots up efficiently, as he rarely falters with closeouts.
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In the clip above, Kusturica’s man noticeably sags off of him on the perimeter, but following a timely kick-out, he shows little hesitation in letting it fly.
High defensive upside
Some may even call Kusturica a Swiss Army knife.
Across the U17 World Cup, Kusturica tallied 2.3 steals and 1.7 blocks per game, helping him nab the Best Defensive Player award.
As a guy who moves his feet so well laterally, Kusturica may be a perfect fit for coach Mick Cronin’s defense, which often opts for a full-court press or looks to trap ball handlers high.
Kusturica’s length allows him to contest larger bigs and close out perimeter shots with ease. Throughout the World Cup, he routinely matched up against opposing big men, while also switching onto other shot creators outside.
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Nonetheless, for all his upsides, his long frame and relentless motor often mask his mental shortcomings, such as biting on fakes and mistimed rotations. In the clip above, Kusturica matches up with a smaller guard, who gets a slight advantage on him to the rim. This forces Kusturica to turn his shoulder, no longer situated directly between the attacker and the hoop. Despite that, Kusturica still manages to get a block with his 7-foot-plus wingspan.
But Kusturica’s physical prowess will only take him so far. The incoming freshman has multiple key areas in which he can hone his defensive skillset. Regardless, he should enter Westwood as an already adept help defender and weak-side rim protector.
Playmaking potential
By no means is he the Bruins’ first initiator – as that role should go to the surging Perry – but Kusturica has the potential to be a valuable connective playmaker.
Coming to UCLA, Kusturica is unselfish as is. While his assist numbers do not jump off the page, sitting at just 19 total assists to 12 turnovers in the World Cup, he is a heads-up player who reads the floor well and already possesses decent IQ.
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In the clip above, Kusturica begins what seems like a typical drive with his head up. After three defenders proceed to trap him, with the remaining two positioned down low for help, he kicks it out for an elbow 3-pointer.
Kusturica is unlikely to be in triple-double watch on a nightly basis, but he can be expected to make the right plays at the right time.
By no means is he a black hole on offense, and he should excel using his gravity as a downhill athlete to make plays for others.
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