Bucks Take a Chance on 7-Foot Center With Training Camp Contract

With training camp approaching later this month, the Milwaukee Bucks decided to make a move that could bolster their frontcourt depth. 

The Bucks signed John Butler Jr. to their team on a training camp deal, and the organization has some familiarity with him. Butler was a part of the Bucks’ G League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd, and was a regular piece of the rotation. 

Last season, Butler played in 49 games with the team and averaged 28.6 minutes per game. He averaged 9.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks. 

With it being a training camp deal, he’ll have a chance to play this preseason and potentially make the roster on a two-way deal. 

He will have some players he will compete with to earn a spot on the roster, one of them being Bogoljub Markovic. Markovic was drafted in the second round in 2025 by the Bucks but has yet to see any time in the NBA. 

Markovic spent the past year developing overseas, but after signing a four-year deal with the franchise, he will look to compete for a roster spot against Butler. 

For John Butler to make this team, he will likely need to outproduce Markovic. Another big man on the Bucks roster who will be looking for more playing time is Ousmane Dieng. 

Dieng was the 11th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, and he could be looking at an opportunity to become a focal point with the Bucks. 

Overall, Milwaukee is a team with some solid frontcourt depth because of their mix of youth and overall stability at the position. Still, John Butler could impress and keep himself on the roster for the season. 

Realistically, this is someone who could be on the Wisconsin Herd again next season, and if he has a better season, he could be looking at getting called up at some point. 

Milwaukee is going into a season that has a lot of questions surrounding their rotation because of all the new faces they’ve brought in. They traded Giannis Antetokounmpo away for multiple players, and they got younger across the board. 

Depending on how the season goes, Milwaukee is a team that could consider calling up multiple G League players towards the end of the season. 

The Bucks' front office has multiple young players on their roster looking for an opportunity, and some may get a chance to be a big piece of this roster.