Bol Bol is ready to start again in Boston.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Celtics, Nuggets and Spurs have agreed to a three-team deal that sends Bol and PJ Dozier from Denver to Boston, Juancho Hernangómez from Boston to San Antonio and Bryn Forbes from San Antonio to Denver.
Bol, who was a highly touted recruit his high school senior in 2018, has battled injuries since his freshman year at Oregon, where he was limited to nine games. While some saw Bol as a possible lottery pick, he was selected 44th in the 2019 NBA Draft due to injury issues and was acquired by Denver in a draft night deal.
Though Bol has only appeared in 53 regular-season games during his first three seasons, his unique versatility as a 22-year-old, 7-foot-2, skilled forward still gives him an intriguing edge moving forward.
This is how the agreement has developed:
Bol Bol Commercial Grades
Celts: B-
As fun as it is to imagine Bol reaching his full potential in a new situation, this deal is about losing salary before anything else.
ESPN’s Bobby Marks provided a breakdown , explaining that Bol ($2.1 million) and Dozier ($1.9 million) have expiring contracts, meaning $4 million will be off the Celtics’ books after the 2021-22 season. This would make sense, given each player’s pre-existing injuries.
Hours before the reported operation, the nuggets announced that Bol had surgery on his right foot that Shams Charania of The Athletic says will sideline Bol for eight to 12 weeks, meaning he could return for the final stretch of the season.
Dozier underwent season-ending surgery to repair a torn ACL in early December.
By acquiring two players who might not wear green this season, the Celtics were able to part ways with Hernangomez, who is owed roughly $7.5 million next season. Boston moves one step closer to moving under the luxury tax.
Nuggets: B.
With the number of injuries Denver has dealt with this season, it’s a huge advantage to bring in a player who can adapt right away.
Forbes, who played a big role in the early parts of the Bucks’ title run last season, is an undersized shooting guard averaging 9.1 points while shooting 41.7 percent in 3 of 40 games this season. As Denver awaits the return of Jamal Murray, who underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL in April 2021, he has another option at guard to play off Nikola Jokic’s play.
By moving two players to acquire one, the Nuggets also free up roster space, which could be used to bring in more players in a potential trade or sign a player on the buy market. With the Nuggets in prime position to fill one of the top six playoff spots in the West, this move positions them to finish the season strong.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Forbes puts up a great shooting performance or two along the way.
Spurs: do+
It’s not often you see the Spurs do this: according to brands , this is the franchise’s second seasonal trade since 2014.
San Antonio part ways with Forbes, but acquire Hernangomez and a 2028 second-round draft pick from the Nuggets as a sweetener. This season, Hernangomez, a 6-foot-9 small forward, is averaging 1.1 points and 1.4 rebounds, but was left out of Boston’s rotation.
Hernangomez, 26, has shown flashes as a skilled shooter in the early stages of his career. In San Antonio, he might have a chance to fit into Gregg Popovich’s system.
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Eddie is an Australian news reporter with over 9 years in the industry and has published on Forbes and tech crunch.