Peyton Watson being traded to the Cavaliers potentially creates opportunities for Milwaukee Bucks players this season. They are still in the hunt for Jonathan Kuminga or Bennedict Mathurin, but not adding Watson does open the door for numerous players to stake their claim to be in the rotation, including 2025 draft pick Bogoljub Markovic.
How Markovic can find his way into the rotation
The Bucks may find themselves accelerating Markovic's timeline, but it's hard to nail down a spot for him in the rotation right now. Milwaukee is at 17 standard contracts, so they need to cut down, with plenty of NBA-caliber guys already on the roster. This leaves Markovic in a strange spot; he needs minutes to grow, but there are a lot of guys ahead of him.
Moves will still be made, and that can create a spot for Markovic to earn more minutes than initially expected. Preseason will give the Serbian a chance to show what he can do. His 3-point mechanics are solid, but his efficiency does need work, with him making just 28.9 percent of them last season.
That ability to stretch the floor and cause opponents headaches will be a huge factor in how quickly he finds himself seeing time on the floor. His physicality has improved, but it is clear there is still some room for him to develop as he looks to help in the paint. However, playing with the versatility of Myles Turner or Kel'el Ware will help him.
Taylor Jenkins has plenty to figure out with his starting lineup and rotations, with preseason giving a slight indication as to where he may be leaning. Kyle Kuzma and Ousmane Dieng will be ahead of Markovic at the power forward spot, along with several flexible players to mix combinations. It doesn't mean he's completely out of the running, as the Bucks are embracing his potential.
Bucks clearly have belief in Markovic
It was clearly a project draft pick when the Bucks took Markovic last year, and a year in Serbia allowed him to grow. He impressed the front office enough to be rewarded with a four-year, $9.3 million deal. At the time, it felt like a strange selection, with the team still aiming to compete. Now it looks like a sneaky good decision that could pay off in the coming years.
A successful season with Mega Basket saw him take home the ABA League MVP and Top Prospect awards, while averaging 18.2 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 2.4 assists. Fans got a better glimpse of him during Summer League, where he showed flashes of what he could bring to the Bucks now and moving forward, but also proved he is still a raw prospect with plenty to work on.
Still lots of decisions to be made regarding the Bucks roster, and Peyton Watson not being added will give several players a chance to earn their spot in the rotation. Markovic is certainly a long-term player, but there is a window of opportunity for him to stake his claim.
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