The Milwaukee Bucks have confirmed that second-round draft pick Bogoljub Marković will join them for the Summer League in the coming weeks. The newcomer will have a chance to show the world what he's made of, and his presence could spark an in-house matchup between him and Tyler Smith, two towering forwards looking to carve out roles in Milwaukee for the foreseeable future.
Smith and Marković could form an interesting one-two punch
On paper, both are fascinating players, standing at 6-foot-11 with smooth jump shots and an ability to put the ball on the board. Smith is the better athlete of the tandem, and he likely possesses the edge defensively due to his athleticism, but Marković is the better passer. They could make for quite the pairing in Summer League, where they will both get an opportunity to show what they are made of.
Those games will be crucial for both players. Smith, coming off a rookie year mostly spent down in the G League, has an opportunity to show he's grown and can help. There has already been chatter that the Milwaukee Bucks will look to stash Marković overseas, but if he impresses in his first action since being drafted, perhaps they would reconsider and keep him in town for next season.
This particular pairing will be under a microscope especially due to the current uncertainty in the Bucks frontcourt. Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis, and Jericho Sims can all hit free agency, and the odds of all three coming back seem slim. To be clear, both Smith and Marković play most of their minutes at power forward, but as they get a better feel of the game, they could play some center.
With few avenues - and options - to improve the frontcourt this summer, turning to an in-house option might be their best bet.
No one should expect the Milwaukee Bucks to fully depend on a 20 and a 19-year-old. Both of these players need time to grow, and the Summer League could be a good starting point to see just where they are. If they look NBA-ready, perhaps this is the year Milwaukee finally leans in on playing their youth and gets with the times.
They'll be wearing the same jersey, but there could be a competition between these two to see which one might be more polished. Summer League is right around the corner.
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