Kings Take Chance on International Standout in NBA Mock Draft

This season is far from over and the Sacramento Kings are likely to make the Play-In Tournament, however, it is never too early to start thinking about the draft.

Last year, the Kings selected Devin Carter out of Providence. Carter, a 6-foot-2 guard, turned some heads in a bad way when he was selected by Sacramento 13th overall. This had nothing to do with Carter’s talent and everything to do with his size and position.

This was exacerbated by a shoulder injury that held Carter out until February and reports that Carter was picked for another team Kings’ GM Monte McNair was having trade discussions with. Whether Carter will turn out to be the right pick remains to be seen, but one thing remains, the Kings have to hit on their limited picks going forward.

Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman released his mock draft which has the Kings picking 38th via the Chicago Bulls and selecting Bogoljub Markovic, a Serbian forward playing for Mega in the Adriatic Basketball Association.

Huge game from Mega's Bogoljub Markovic yesterday, 27 points, 4 assists, 2 blocks with 3 3PTM and more flashes of transition ball-handling. Scores in a lot of ways on/off ball for a 6-11 19-year-old. pic.twitter.com/drR4qyccVu
— Jonathan Wasserman (@NBADraftWass) March 10, 2025

Markovic is listed at 6-foot-11 and 195 pounds, averaging 13.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 3 assists per game in league play. Markovic has been playing extremely well in Serbia and was recently named the MVP of Round 22 of the season for his 27-point performance against Buducnost.

Now, let’s get to the fun part, Markovic’s current NBA comparison. The easy answer would be fellow Serbian Aleksej Pokusevski, a former first-round pick now playing for KK Partizan in the Adriatic League as well. While Poku is a great comparison given their frame and offensive skills, Markovic’s skill set reminds me of Atlanta Hawks rookie Zaccherie Risacher.

Risacher was the first overall pick this past year and no one should expect Markovic to have a similar metoric rise come June, but the similarities in their skillsets are definitely there. Both are best as spot-up shooters where they can use their length to get off shots against smaller defenders.

Similar to Risacher, Markovic can also be effective in the open court when he keeps his handle tight and head up. Markovic got a chance to play in the G League Fall Invitational this past September where he was able to show some of his shooting and driving prowess.

The comparison to Risacher ends when you get to athleticism and defense. While still developing, Risacher is a far more athletic and fluid player than Markovic who tends to get out of control on drives and in the open court.

Markovic also will need to get far stronger to stick on an NBA team. At only 195 pounds, he can get pushed around by stronger players in the post and doesn’t bring much rim protection either.

If the Kings do select Markovic, he will likely need a year in the G League or another year abroad to fill out his frame and develop the defensive side of his game before he’s ready to help Sacramento compete in the Western Conference.

Recommended Articles