Bucks Receive Bad News on Saturday from 6-foot-4 Guard

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Dibyendu Mondal | Last updated Jun 29, 2025 8:20 AM ET

The Milwaukee Bucks entered the 2025 NBA draft with only one pick, owned at No. 47 in the second round, a selection originally from Detroit and Washington. With this selection, Milwaukee chose Serbian power forward Bogoljub Marković, a 6-foot-10 stretch big from KK Mega Basket.

Now, the Bucks attention turns to NBA free agency which begins on Monday. Milwaukee is hoping that Markovic can contribute immediately, but history is not necessarily kind to most second-round picks.

Bleacher Report praised Markovic's skill flashes and upside as a face-up forward, while also emphasizing that he remains a developmental asset. This pick reflects Milwaukee’s focus on long‑term frontcourt depth around Giannis Antetokounmpo.

As the Bucks focus on free agency, Milwaukee is in danger of losing multiple veteran players.

On Saturday, the backcourt received a blow as Kevin Porter Jr. has informed the Bucks he will decline his $2.5 million player option and test unrestricted free agency.

First reported by The Athletic’s Fred Katz and Eric Nehm, the decision could shift Porter off the roster, unless the Bucks are able to re-sign the guard.

Porter averaged 11.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game with Milwaukee in 2024-25, producing especially strong numbers in his final 13 regular‑season games.

Now facing free agency, the Bucks must balance building around Antetokounmpo with a bloated payroll.

With Damian Lillard sidelined by injury for a significant part of the upcoming season, retaining Porter would provide valuable backcourt depth, though doing so would require cap exceptions and may trigger a hard salary cap.

REPORT: Kevin Porter Jr. has informed the Bucks that he will not pick up his $3M option and will enter free agency, per @eric_nehm, @FredKatz pic.twitter.com/NGxNkz0Wxr
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) June 28, 2025

All eyes will be on how the Bucks address free agency with veterans like Porter and Brook Lopez in danger of leaving for more lucrative landing spots. In addition to Bucks fans, Antetokounmpo is watching to see if the Bucks can build an Eastern Conference contender despite Lillard's injury.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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