Report: Bucks signing former Cavs prospect

Former Cleveland Cavaliers prospect Marques Bolden has reportedly signed a training camp deal with the Milwaukee Bucks. Bolden inked a training camp deal with the Bucks in the summer of 2022 as well but didn’t end up making the final roster.

Bolden, 25, went undrafted in the 2019 NBA Draft after a three-season stint playing college basketball at Duke University.

His first two seasons as a Blue Devil were forgettable, however. As a freshman, Bolden hardly saw the court. He suited up in 24 games during the 2016-17 season but started only one and averaged just 6.5 minutes per game.

He averaged 1.5 points, 1.1 rebounds and 0.3 blocks per game in his first season at Duke for a team that finished with a 28-9 record and was led by star wing Jayson Tatum. The 2016-17 Blue Devils were upset in the second round of the NCAA Tournament by the University of South Carolina.

In Bolden’s sophomore season, his minutes nearly doubled from 6.5 per game to 12.9. He was able to establish himself as a top-tier shot-blocker, as he averaged 1.0 block per game. But he still didn’t receive enough playing time as a sophomore to make a significant impact.

It wasn’t until Bolden’s third and final season with Duke that he had an opportunity to play heavy minutes. He started 21 games for the Blue Devils during the 2018-19 season and averaged 5.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. That iteration of Duke ended up with a 32-6 record and made it all the way to the Elite Eight before losing to Xavier Tillman and Michigan State University.

Bolden has played two seasons in the NBA, both as a member of the Cavaliers franchise. Most recently, he averaged 1.2 points, 1.0 rebound and 0.3 blocks per game across six games played with Cleveland during the 2020-21 regular season (zero starts).

It’s hard to imagine Bolden featuring heavily in Milwaukee’s rotation in the 2023-24 regular season. After all, with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis, the Bucks have one of the deepest frontcourt rotations in the NBA.