According to Shams Charania of the Athletic, Bol Bol and the Denver Nuggets have agreed upon a two-way contract.
One of the most exciting rookies in the 2019 NBA Draft class, the 7’2.5” Bol Bol experienced a precipitous drop on draft night. Projected as a top 10 talent who would go somewhere in the first round, Bol dropped all the way to 44 where the Nuggets decided to take a chance on him. He only played nine games at Oregon during his freshman year before deciding to turn pro, but in those games, he averaged 21.0 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per game on 56.1% field goal shooting. Bol is a unique talent with a skill set made for the modern NBA. He can space the floor with his three-pointer, shoot off the dribble, and protect the rim at the center position with his length and timing.
Bol clearly needs time to develop his body and his mindset to the 2019-20 season, and being on a two-way contract may help him lower his expectations and focus on becoming the best possible player he can be at his own pace. Playing just nine college games can be difficult on some prospects, and learning how the Nuggets want him to be in the G League could help him ultimately become a better player with some staying power in the NBA. Denver doesn’t have a rotation spot for him right now, so getting him as many reps as possible in the G League could help him establish himself as a rotation player as soon as the following season.
The Nuggets have 14 full-time roster spots filled, and now they have both two-way roster spots filled, with Bol and former Iowa Hawkeye power forward Tyler Cook filling in there. It’s notable that the Nuggets are keeping their final roster spot open without signing a third emergency point guard, though former South Carolina guard PJ Dozier could certainly fill that role.
