After a year overseas, the Milwaukee Bucks brought aboard Bogoljub Markovic via a standard NBA contract. Having made the decision before Summer League, the team didn't need to see him on the floor whatsoever; they were already sold on him. In Summer League, the forward showed signs of potential often, but he's still a raw prospect, and that's fine.
Markovic is raw but can grow in Milwaukee
Milwaukee's second-round pick of the 2025 NBA Draft just turned 21 earlier this month. He spent the past several weeks playing in Summer League, where he put up some interesting numbers. In his five games, he averaged 8.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and a block per game. It's hard to judge an incredibly young player off such a small sample size, but there were some takeaways.
On a positive note, Markovic looked like he took the physical side of things personally over the past year, appearing far stronger than he did last summer. He used that to his advantage as he attacked the paint and fought for rebounds. As evidenced by his stat line, Markovic is a Swiss Army Knife who can do a little bit of everything. That type of player is needed on every team.
On the other side of the coin, the forward looked lost every now and then, particularly defensively. Though stronger, Markovic didn't magically get more athletic overnight. He had trouble keeping up with faster, more athletic players at times, and understandably so. He also shot just 38.1 percent on his field goal attempts, failing to get into a groove offensively.
It was a fine first step to what will be his rookie season with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Year one will be about growing for Markovic
Despite handing him a legitimate deal, the Milwaukee Bucks likely won't ask Markovic to be a big-time contributor from day one. Even with their youth movement after the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, his role this coming year will revolve around dipping his toes in the NBA waters and learning from the older, more experienced players. That would be the best way to set him up for the future.
He faces stiff competition in the frontcourt alongside Myles Turner, Kyle Kuzma, Pete Nance, Kel'el Ware, Jericho Sims, and even Nate Ament after his strong Summer League. Markovic must earn his keep with the Bucks, even if it takes a while. It wouldn't be surprising to see him spend time with the Wisconsin Herd in the G League to get extra reps.
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