The Milwaukee Bucks have made their latest bet on Bogoljub Markovic, and the move says plenty about where this roster is headed.
According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, Milwaukee signed the 2025 second-round pick to a four-year, $9.3 million deal that includes a team option in the final season. That commitment is notable on its own, but it also pushes the Bucks to 16 standard contracts, so more roster trimming is coming before they can get down to the league’s 15-player limit.
Markovic’s path to this point has been a successful one. Drafted and then stashed overseas, he spent last season in Serbia and turned heads by winning both ABA League MVP and Top Prospect honors. The stretch big posted 18.2 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game, shooting 51.2/28.9/82.5.
For a second-round pick coming off a draft-and-stash season, a four-year contract is not the usual play. It signals the Bucks believe in what Markovic can become.
His basketball IQ is considered a strength, and while his 3-point shooting still needs work, there’s enough skill in his game to make him an intriguing developmental piece. With Milwaukee leaning into a rebuild, he looks like a natural fit alongside the team’s collection of guards.
The main concern around Markovic has been his frame and whether he could handle NBA physicality. He has added noticeable bulk, and the frontcourt picture in Milwaukee has opened up with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis gone.
That kind of opportunity matters, especially for a team that has not always shown patience with younger players in recent years. This move suggests the Bucks are willing to treat Markovic differently.
Now comes the hard part: making the numbers work. Pete Nance is also on the roster on a non-guaranteed deal, and Milwaukee still needs to get from 16 standard contracts down to 15. Waiving a low-salary player is one route, but a trade looks more likely.
Kyle Kuzma and Myles Turner are among the higher-paid names who have come up in trade rumors all offseason. Tyler Herro, who has only just arrived in his hometown, could also be moved, according to sources around the league.
Ousmane Dieng’s re-signing was already expected, and he is not going anywhere. The same goes for the possibility that the Bucks could move Kevin Porter Jr., Taurean Prince or Jericho Sims, all of whom picked up their 2026-27 player options.
Milwaukee has clearly started a youth movement, and Markovic is part of it. The signing is a meaningful show of faith - now the Bucks have to finish the roster puzzle.
In Other News...
This Bucks Newcomer Suddenly Matters More Than Fans Realize
Kasparas Jakuionis is one of the quieter names to come out of the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, but the 19-year-old guard has already started giving Milwaukee a reason to pay attention. Drafted by Miami in 2025, he showed a useful shooting touch as a rookie, averaging 6.2 points while knocking down 42.3% of his threes, the sort of early efficiency that can matter on a roster trying to reshape itself around young talent.
Jakuionis said the first day after the deal was difficult, which hardly surprises for a player whose NBA life changed so abruptly, but he has also framed the move as a chance to grow with a young organization. He added another little reminder of his upside at an exhibition game for Lithuania, where he posted a double-double and handled the ball well against Ukraine, giving the Bucks a fresh reason to keep an eye on how quickly his role can expand. [Read more 🡒]
Bucks Already Have A Roster Problem That Could Block Their Next Move
Milwaukee still has room under the luxury tax line, roughly $33 million of it, but the real issue is less about money than about space. With 15 standard players already under contract and a few other names hanging around the edges of the roster, the Bucks are brushing up against the regular-season limit at a time when they would still like to keep their options open.
That is where the roster math starts to get messy, because adding one more useful piece may require subtracting somewhere else first. Ousmane Dieng has already been re-signed, and the Bucks also hold a trade exception worth around $25 million, which gives them another path to a move if they can find the right fit and the right opening on the roster. [Read more 🡒]