According to a Denver Nuggets source, the Nuggets have traded for the 44th pick in the 2019 NBA Draft and have acquired Bol Bol out of the University of Oregon.
Shams Charania of The Athletic was first on the report.
Bol, who was projected as a top-10 pick in the preseason, ended up fracturing his foot on December 12th, 2018 and it ended his season. Before the stress fracture stole his season, Bol played nine games and averaged 21 points, 9.6 rebounds, one assist, and 2.7 blocks in 29.8 minutes per game. He shot 57% from the field, 52% from three-point range and 75.7% from the free throw line.
Bol is a physical specimen almost without comparison. He is the second tallest and longest player in the draft. He stands 7-foot-2.5 tall while sporting a 7-foot-7 wingspan and a 9-foot-7.5 standing reach. On the other hand, he only weighs a meager 208 pounds despite his ridiculous length.
For the Nuggets, Bol was a worthy risk. All it took to acquire the 44th pick was a future second rounder that has so far has not been disclosed and cash considerations. Denver already has the talent in place to not need his services right away which will allow Bol plenty of time to fully recover from the stress fracture in his left foot.
As things currently stand, there is not a role for Bol to fill in Denver. The Nuggets have first-team All-NBA center in Nikola Jokic holding down the starting spot and Mason Plumlee backing him up. Additionally, Paul Millsap is still on the roster with all signs pointing to him sticking in Denver for at least the next year.
According to a source, the Nuggets had Bol “high on the board as far as his talent goes” and felt that the cost of trading into the second round was more than worth the possible reward of drafting Bol, who could potentially dominant in time.
Still, there is a reason that Bol fell from a potential top-10 pick all the way to the 44th selection. His medicals have been much less than stellar and there seem to be questions about his personality. Still, with the 44th pick, it is almost impossible to find a player as talented as Bol.