A Serbian near seven-foot power-forward drafted in the second-round...sound familiar? If you're a Golden State Warriors fan, you'd be forgiven for having flashbacks to Alen Smailagic.
After trying to hide Smailagic in their G League program, the Warriors successfully traded two second-round picks to gain the rights to the 6'10" forward with the 39th pick of the 2019 NBA Draft. Golden State really thought they'd hidden away what would become an unbelievable draft steal, only for the 'Smiley' experiment to come to an end after just 29 games across two years with the franchise.
Fast-forward to now and the Warriors could look at another young Serbian power-forward, with the franchise projected to take Bogoljub Markovic with the 41st pick they acquired from the Miami Heat in the Jimmy Butler trade.
Bogoljub Markovic would be an intriguing option for the Warriors
Draft expert Jonathan Wasserman has Golden State selecting Markovic in the second-round of Bleacher Report's latest mock draft. The 19-year-old is compared to another Serbian forward in Aleksej Pokusevski -- a player who was taken with the 17th pick of the 2020 draft but who now finds himself out of the league.
A comparison to Pokusevski and the Warriors' previous failure with Smailagic isn't very positive, but Markovic's skillset would certainly be intriguing for a franchise that's looking to add size and shooting this offseason.
The 6'11" Markovic has put up impressive numbers with Mega Basket in the ABA (European league) this season, averaging 13.7 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 30 games while shooting an efficient 53.8% from the floor and 37% from 3-point range.
Kevin O'Connor of Yahoo Sports has Markovic going earlier at 33rd overall to the Charlotte Hornets, labelling him a modern stretch forward but someone who's going to take some development given his slight frame.
"Marković is a modern stretch forward who also offers skill as a passer and post scorer. But to handle the rigors of the NBA and become a positive defender, he needs to add a ton of muscle," O'Connor wrote.
The comparison to former Serbian players doesn't stop for Markovic who is projected to go 37th overall to the Detroit Pistons, according to NBA Draft Room. Their analysis has the young forward compared to Nemanja Bjelica -- the long-time NBA veteran who won a championship with the Warriors three years ago.
GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. will look to hit on a second-round pick for the third-straight year, having taken Trayce Jackson-Davis 57th overall in 2023, followed by Quinten Post with the 52nd selection last year.