Using what has mostly been late draft picks (and undrafted signings), the Bucks have amassed a fascinating collection of young players who, due to being late selections, each have clear deficiencies in their games and, statistically speaking, are more likely not to stick in the NBA than they are to find a home. However, as rabid NBA fans, we can’t help but hope that at least some of these players will overcome their flaws and morph into contributing NBA players; it happens all the time around the league,
with AJ Green being the most notable example of that. Therefore, Jack and Finn went through the under-25 Bucks players (excluding Ryan Rollins, who has “graduated”) and ranked each player through the lens of who they believe has the highest chance to eventually stick in an NBA rotation consistently. Crucially, this means any NBA rotation, not just Milwaukee’s, given the Bucks may end up cutting some of these guys (possibly very soon). This gives Jack, Finn, and the readers a chance to put their chips on the table and predict if the Bucks will or will not regret moving on from a player.
Jack: Before getting to my ranking, I just want to make clear that, as much as it sucks to say, I’m lukewarm on anyone from this crop turning into an NBA rotation piece. If the over/under was set at 1.5, I would take the under.
- Bogoljub Markovic
- Tyler Smith
- Andre Jackson Jr.
- Chris Livingston
- Mark Sears
Finn: My ranking shook out pretty similarly to Jack’s. However, I’m a little more optimistic about this crew, and feel good about at least two of my top three being real players at some point.
- Bogoljub Markovic
- Tyler Smith
- Andre Jackson Jr.
- Mark Sears
- Chris Livingston
Bogoljub Markovic
Jack: Ultimately, I placed Bogi first because he probably has the highest floor out of these five players. If the standard to reach is “plays rotational minutes for an extended period of time,” I think he has the best chance. His ability to make sound decisions and process the game at a high level separates him from everyone on this list except for Mark Sears (who is limited by his stature, of course). That said, I am unsure if I see an “NBA skill” in Bogi other than being competent at many things. The high bar of playing in the NBA could well require him to develop that skill; perhaps becoming a deadly stretch big is his ticket. I buy the shooting form and there is a track record to go off there. Then there’s the slow-footed defence and lack of strength, which are long-term concerns but will hopefully improve in the short-term back in Serbia this season.
Finn: I’m very bullish on Bogi. He’s a project the Bucks need to invest in. Like Jack mentioned, he has a solid foundation as a prospect due to his innate understanding of the game. Markovic can and will be an NBA-level decision maker, an indispensable trait for a role player. If you can’t keep the ball moving and limit turnovers in a supporting role, you won’t be in a rotation. As for a true NBA skill, I think it will be shooting for Markovic. The touch, the form, and the fluidity are all there for him, as is the confidence. Of course, he does have some notable flaws, but given his young age and impressive growth mindset, dismissing his ability to add strength seems foolish. All in all, there is a really good pro in Bogi waiting to get uncovered.
Tyler Smith
Jack: Despite showing very little in his first season, I placed Tyler second, mostly because I have lost a lot of faith in Andre and have always struggled to see it with Chris. Ultimately, this ranking comes down to my belief that Smith now has a greater chance of being playable on both ends than Jackson or Livingston do. And sure, that may take time to eventuate, but I am dubious that it is in the cards for either of those other guys, ever. I look at Tyler and, if I squint hard, can see a roadmap for him. First off, I just can’t quit the belief that he’s going to shoot it at a high level, if literally nothing else. That shooting (or the mere threat of it) gets him on the court on offence as a starting point. Now, he must also learn to process the game faster (Bogi is miles ahead in this department), and I hope he adds something, anything, off the dribble. However, good shooting ability remains the most critical singular skill to have, especially at size, and I feel that he has it. Defensively, I admit, I’m worried. There are two main issues: firstly, Tyler is so damn skinny; if he were 24, I’d have no hope, but he’s 20. I am crossing my fingers that he can get stronger over the next few years (which is why I’ll be fuming if he’s cut, not allowing for that maturation). The other issue is his fundamental understanding of positioning, rotations, and so on. The good part is that both of these issues can be corrected in a way that AJax’s offence probably cannot at this point, hence the higher ranking. If Tyler can get himself to a level where he can compete physically and improve the mental side, he’ll give himself a red-hot chance. That, plus being a deadly stretch big on offence, is the vision—and I do believe it’s realistic.
Finn: Smith is far and away the second-best prospect on this team. He’s currently worse than AJax and probably Livingston too, but when it comes to upside, Smith clears his older peers. The 20-year-old was a borderline lottery prospect in the 2024 draft who fell into Milwaukee’s lap early in the second round. He has an all-but-cemented NBA skill in his shooting, which he has proven both in the G and his limited major league playing time. He doesn’t have the same type of IQ/feel that Bogi does, which is concerning, but he has more potential as an athlete that could be unlocked if he gets stronger. Yes, Smith may be frustratingly raw right now, but if the Bucks lift ready-now expectations for him and replace them with long-term goals, they could be very rewarded by his development. It would be very disappointing to see this team give up on him in favor of Thanasis.
Andre Jackson Jr.
Jack: I have always tried to hold my Jackson stock because I believe he has significant defensive upside that cannot be found anywhere else on the roster. However, the offence is nearly untenable and will be exposed to an extreme degree in any high-stakes contest. I sometimes find myself, like a mad scientist, concocting theories on how to optimise Andre on that end; what lineup must be out there, who he needs to be screening, etc. And then I snap out of it and think, “what am I even doing here? It shouldn’t be this hard to work out how to get an NBA player to survive on offence!” That’s basically the extent of my analysis nowadays with AJax. It’s close to a dead end if nothing changes offensively, and, at this point, I’m not sure it’s realistic to expect those changes given his age. That said, I placed Andre above CL because on the off chance the offence does come, he instantly becomes a legitimate rotation piece.
Finn: AJax should be a lot better right now than he actually is. Not only is he almost 24 years old with two full NBA seasons under his belt, he also had a lot of positive momentum early in his career that has since completely come to a halt. As a rookie, he earned the trust of coaches Griffin/Rivers, ultimately playing a bench rotation role in the playoffs. At the beginning of 2024-25, he forced his way into real minutes and went on to start 43 games in the regular season. Yet, despite all that, he’s now in danger of being cut, and his lack of development is to blame. AJax has the toolbox to be a quality fifth option on offense. He’s super athletic, a smart connector and a capable three-point shooter. However, he inexplicably just hasn’t put together the pieces or shown any sort of aggression at all. I believe in AJax becoming a rotation player somewhere, especially given his defensive abilities, but I don’t think it will happen in Milwaukee. This team can’t afford him much more patience with other prospects needing attention as well.
Chris Livingston
Jack: My qualm with Chris is the same as it’s always been: I’m yet to hear a convincing, realistic roadmap for how he can be deployed on an NBA court and be additive on either end—whether that’s this season or, theoretically, in three years. I just don’t see much room to grow here; to me, he’s basically a finished product without a definable NBA skill. What is his go-to strength on offence? Is it shooting? He does not have a track record of being a shooter, and the form itself isn’t pretty, but he did make shots in Vegas. For CL to be an NBA wing, he really has to shoot it, because the bully-ball he does at lower levels isn’t going to work, and he has no off-the-dribble game to speak of. If he can shoot, a role might open up for him, but that’s a tough sell. Put it this way, Tyler Smith has indeed had fluctuating shooting percentages throughout his short pro career, but I’m willing to bet that if Doc threw him out there in a random December game, he’d get guarded like a shooter—I can see teams completely ignoring Livingston. I’ve talked on Deer Diaries about how CL needs to shoot it, but if not, he should cram Obi Toppin tape and try to be a mobile screening big. On defence, Livingston’s best quality is that he’s built like a tank, but what about the intangibles? Can he get around screens? Can he block shots? Can he guard up the floor? These are all questions that we, as fans, don’t definitively know the answers to, but the fact that Livingston has never gotten a shot at consistent NBA minutes could well be an indication that the team does.
Finn: Livingston looks the part of an NBA player. He has strong physical tools that give him a promising foundation, especially on defense. However, it’s unclear at this point exactly what his role would look like. I think following the Obi Toppin blueprint would be the way to go, but he would need to show some growth in his processing and shooting touch to get there, especially because he’s not the high-flying detonator that Toppin is. We haven’t seen much of Livingston on an NBA court through his first two seasons, and I don’t think we’ll be able to properly evaluate him until he gets some more burn. The question is, though, how much playing time will be available for him on this roster?
Mark Sears
Jack: Sears is at the bottom by default, really. While I’d love to see him succeed, the number of guys at his height who make it in the NBA is so small. If he were 6’4”, he’d be in my top three. It’ll be a tough row to hoe for Mark, but if anyone can do it, it’s him.
Finn: Sears escaped the basement of my list because he truly is an unbelievably talented basketball player. Jack and I have gushed about him before, so I’ll keep it short here, but the little guard has all the qualities of a steady lead guard on a professional basketball team. He would genuinely be a lock for a solid 5+ year career if he wasn’t sub-six-foot. So, to echo Jack, the odds are definitely stacked against Sears, which is why betting on him becoming a rotation player isn’t all that smart. However, he does have the chance to make people look foolish for writing him off.
