A small cluster of draft-and-stash players is making the jump to NBA rosters for 2026/27, giving a few teams low-cost ways to add international talent without leaning on the usual free agency routes.
The Bucks are bringing in Bogoljub Markovic, a 2025 second-round pick at No. 47 who put together a huge season for Mega Basket in Serbia. In his age-20 year, the forward averaged 18.3 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game and earned ABA League MVP honors. Milwaukee’s move makes even more sense after the club shifted into rebuild mode, since Markovic fits a younger roster and comes on a team-friendly deal.
His contract runs four years and is worth $9,264,648. The first year is fully guaranteed, the second year is partially guaranteed at $1,147,185, the third year is non-guaranteed and the fourth year is a team option. He was signed using the second-round pick exception.
Dallas also added Tarik Biberovic, a 2023 second-rounder at No. 56 whose rights had been held by Memphis before they were sent to the Mavericks in this offseason’s six-team trade. The Grizzlies selected him three years ago, but Dallas now gets the benefit of a wing who has already built a strong résumé overseas.
Biberovic was part of Fenerbahce’s EuroLeague title team in 2025 and has collected multiple domestic championships in recent years. In 41 EuroLeague games in 2025/26, he shot .524/.419/.952 and averaged 11.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 24.3 minutes per contest. Because of the level of player Dallas was trying to land, the team had to dip into part of the mid-level exception instead of relying on the second-round pick exception.
Cleveland rounded out the group with Khalifa Diop, a 2022 second-round pick at No. 39.
The 7-foot-1 center spent last season as a part-time contributor for Baskonia in Spain, where he averaged 4.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 0.6 blocks in 16.8 minutes per game across 28 EuroLeague appearances. In Spain’s domestic league, he posted 3.5 points and 4.3 rebounds in 16.0 minutes over 19 games.
For the Cavaliers, the move is as much about the books as the rotation. Diop’s rookie minimum salary helps keep the team below its first-apron hard cap during the 2026/27 league year.
In Other News...
Tyler Herro Has Put A Huge Bucks Decision On This Season
Tyler Herros situation has become one of the more delicate subplots around Milwaukee as the season approaches. He is on an expiring contract, and for now both sides appear content to wait until next summer before talking seriously about a new deal. From the Bucks side, that pause makes sense. They want a full look at how Herro performs and how he holds up physically before making any long-term commitment.
Herro, meanwhile, has reason to let the year play out and see what kind of market he can create for himself. A strong season could put him in position to ask for a larger payday based on the idea that he can still grow into a top option. For Milwaukee, that leaves a decision hanging over the year ahead, with plenty depending on how Herro looks once the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]
Bucks Fans Already Have One Painful Giannis Trade Debate
Junes Giannis Antetokounmpo deal already has Bucks fans revisiting the hardest part of any blockbuster trade: not just what was lost, but whether Milwaukee got as much as it could have in return. The move sent one of the franchises defining stars to Miami, and even before the dust fully settled, the conversation shifted to process, timing and the kind of package the Bucks ultimately accepted.
Some analysts have argued Milwaukee waited too long and passed on a more favorable market, including a reported Celtics offer that would have changed the discussion in a different direction. The Bucks front office has maintained it went with Miami because the return offered a mix of players and draft capital it believed could actually be put to use, but for a fan base trying to make sense of the post-Giannis future, the debate over alternatives is already part of the story. [Read more 🡒]
Bucks Have A Ryan Rollins Decision Coming Faster Than Expected
Ryan Rollins gave the Bucks a much-needed lift last season, turning a modest $4 million salary into one of the more valuable returns on the roster. Milwaukee already views him as part of its future, which only raises the stakes around what comes next as the team tries to keep its core young talent in place while staying mindful of the salary cap.
Rollins is expected to decline his player option for the 2027-28 season, putting the Bucks on a timeline they may not have anticipated when his breakout began. If his next deal climbs too high, the front office could eventually be forced to weigh a trade instead of a long-term extension, a reminder that good value today can become a tougher roster decision tomorrow. [Read more 🡒]