4:22pm: The Nuggets have officially announced that they’ve signed Bol to a standard NBA contract.
10:32am: The Nuggets and young center Bol Bol have agreed to a two-year deal worth $4.2MM, his agents at CAA Sports tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Bol, who spent his rookie season in 2019/20 on a two-way contract, will be promoted to Denver’s standard roster as part of the agreement.
Bol, once considered a probable 2019 lottery pick, dropped to No. 44 in last year’s draft due to health concerns. The 21-year-old was limited to seven NBA appearances and eight G League games as a rookie.
However, Bol has flashed intriguing potential as a 7’2″ center who can knock down shots from beyond the arc, and the Nuggets are excited about his development, tweets Charania. In his eight games for the Windy City Bulls last season, he averaged 12.0 PPG, 5.5 RPG, and 2.1 BPG with a .364 3PT% in 19.3 minutes per contest.
Even with Mason Plumlee out of the picture for the Nuggets in 2020/21, Bol will have to compete to earn a regular role in the rotation. Isaiah Hartenstein, Paul Millsap, and Zeke Nnaji are also candidates for minutes at the five behind Nikola Jokic.
Bol will fill the roster spot previously occupied by Keita Bates-Diop, who was waived before his salary for 2020/21 became guaranteed. Mike Singer of The Denver Post previously reported that the Nuggets would promote Bol to the standard roster.
After committing most of its mid-level exception to JaMychal Green, Denver will likely use the remaining portion of that MLE to complete the Bol signing.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
I’ll be interested to see how he turns out could very well be another porter jr type player that takes a few years to develop but could pay off huge for them. Imagine a lineup in which they have bol bol at the 4/5 with jokic, posing match up nightmares.
Basketball reference lists him 7’2” 220. In college he was at 7’. Still growing ?? His dad was big.
He’s shown skill and athleticism. Not just a long big guy. But he needs to add weight n muscle. He’s more skilled than his dad ever was. And Manute had a good career.
7’2″ should be right. Was mixing him up with Tacko Fall when I wrote the height.
Pretty sure he’s not a 5, at least not full time or against a 250 lb center. He’s more of a 4/5, and I bet the Nuggets at least see what he looks like as a ridiculously tall 3.
Bol Bol is still more capable of playing center than the Serbian player drafted by OKC that ESPN has listed at 7-0, 195 pounds. They really need to put some muscle on that kid.
Pokusevski ain’t a C, he is basically a 3/4 can even play the 2, not the 5 at the moment, guy can shoot & has handles & hopefully he might even grow a bit more, guy is a beast, he can very well be an All-Star one day!
Poku might be the steal of this Draft some day. I look forward to see him play.
Poku might be the steal of this Draft some day. I look forward to see him play.
I just love the name. Hope he has a great career.
“Isaiah Hartenstein, Paul Millsap, and Zeke Nnaji are also candidates for minutes at the five behind Nikola Jokic”
Michael Malone simply brings his five center lineup from that scrimmage game in the bubble and plays them all at once.
The way I look at guys like Bol Bol and KP on defense is: can they cover both 3 point shots on the weak side? Are they able to flash to the diagonal 3 point shooter and turn them into a driver and also prevent the weak-side corner 3? And, can they provide weak side rebounding and block shots? Being able to zone D the weak side 3 point line is a good way to build a team defense. I look forward to seeing how successful the Nuggets can be with a lineup of Jokic, MPjr, Bol, Barton, and Murray.