Bucks cut former three-year Duke basketball big man

Duke basketball's Marques Bolden and Grayson Allen are no longer teammates.

Matt Giles | Oct 16, 2022

Duke basketball center Marques Bolden (Michael Shroyer-USA TODAY Sports)

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Despite his 21-point outing in 34 minutes of action during a preseason game on Tuesday, former three-year Duke basketball center Marques Bolden is no longer a member of the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Bucks, who now have only one Blue Devil under contract in returning starter Grayson Allen, waived the 24-year-old Bolden on Saturday, per the NBA player transactions log, as teams work to trim their rosters to 15 players for the start of the regular season later this week.

Unless another team picks him up in the coming days, Bolden will presumably begin the season in the G League, either for Milwaukee's affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd, or the Utah Jazz's affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars (they currently own his G League returning rights).

Marques Bolden, who has played in seven NBA regular season games since going undrafted in 2019, averaged 11.7 points and 8.5 points in 21 appearances for the Stars last season. It was his first season not seeing any time in an NBA game.

There are now 25 Duke basketball products on active NBA contracts.

Two of them, Denver Nuggets forward Jack White and New York Knicks guard Trevor Keels, are on two-way contracts and are unlikely to be on their teams' opening-night rosters.

For now, the best guess is that 23 NBA Blue Devils will be on opening-night rosters. That said, Brooklyn Nets guard Seth Curry and Detroit Pistons center Marvin Bagley III won't play right away as they continue to recover from injuries.

The 2022-23 NBA regular season tips off with two games on Tuesday night, but most teams don't begin their campaigns until Wednesday night.

Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country for daily Duke basketball content.

Published Oct 16, 2022

MATT GILES

Matt Giles is the editor and publisher of Duke Blue Devils on SI, North Carolina Tar Heels on SI, and NC State Wolfpack on SI, making him a key source for comprehensive coverage of these storied college basketball programs. Since joining SI in 2022, Matt has been dedicated to providing in-depth analysis, breaking news, and exclusive content on all three teams. He covers everything from game previews and recaps to player profiles and recruiting updates. Matt's expert knowledge of these teams has made his work a go-to resource for fans and followers of Duke, NC State, and UNC. As publisher, he shapes the editorial direction, ensuring that the most relevant and timely information reaches his audience.