Signing Bogoljub Markovic to a four-year, $9.3 million rookie contract early this offseason might have seemed like a no-brainer for the Milwaukee Bucks. The kid just won MVP and, for the second year in a row, the Top Prospect Award in Serbia’s Adriatic League. He’s only 21, plays a position of need, and fits the Bucks’ current timeline. But that early commitment also slammed the door on their roster flexibility, leaving them needing to trim two players without many appealing pathways to do so. In hindsight, waiting until after his Summer League evaluation would’ve kept some options open.
Summer League Showed Flashes and Frustrations
Markovic showed some real talent, but his Summer League run was definitely a mixed bag. He put up decent counting stats: 8.8 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 1.2 APG, 0.2 SPG, 1.0 BPG, and 1.2 TPG. His shooting splits were .381/.364/.667. He had some electric moments, too, like that 16-point, eight-rebound showing against the Phoenix Suns. But then he’d just disappear for stretches, even entire games, like that brutal 1/9 stinker against the Philadelphia 76ers to close out Summer League play. The official report card? A C-. Yikes.
Offensive Chops, Defensive Woes
Offensively, Markovic clearly has skills. He’s a gifted passer who can create plays from both the high and low post, and sometimes even off the dribble. He’s more explosive than you’d expect, too, able to quickly throw down dunks. He can shoot, but needs to dial in that consistency to become a real floor-spacing big in the NBA. That’s probably his clearest path to a regular role.
The defense? That’s a whole different story. Markovic is just far too upright as a defender to make a real impact. He’s also too thin and narrow, meaning guys can just push him around. Yeah, his length gets him some boards and blocks, but he’s no deterrent at the rim and gives up way too many second-chance opportunities. The bottom line: he’s strictly a power forward and should only ever see minutes at center in total blowouts.
So, where does this leave Markovic and the Bucks? With no pressure to win right now, this is their moment to figure out if Markovic can truly become an NBA player. The talent is there on offense, but that early contract created a serious roster crunch, and his defensive game needs a massive overhaul. It’s a gamble, and we’ll be watching to see if it pays off.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Brew Hoop.
Leave a Reply