Bol Bol can be a Swiss Army Knife for the Denver Nuggets.
According to the Denver Post’s Mike Singer, the Denver Nuggets will decline forward Keita Bates-Diop’s option for the 2020-21 season and replace his roster spot with forward-center Bol Bol, whose contract they plan on converting to a standard deal from a Two-Way.
Bol, a fluid athlete at 7’2,” is incredibly skilled for size.
Not only is he capable of altering shots and finishing with ease due to his length but he can handle the ball in the open floor, stretch the floor out to 3-point range and make some truly special passes.
He has a thin frame, which limits his ability to play through contact on both ends. However, his performance in the NBA bubble was promising, as he can be a mismatch for opposing teams on a nightly basis.
Sure, he may not be part of the rotation next season. Still, if a frontcourt player goes down, he might be able to fill any of their roles.
On the other hand, while Bates-Diop can be a valuable defender and floor-spacing four, he was unlikely to get much — if any — playing time in Denver.
Releasing Bates-Diop may have been a classy move by the Nuggets, giving him the chance to play for an organization where he had a better chance of getting on the court. It also allows them to remove a player who could be disgruntled with their role and negatively affect the chemistry.
The Nuggets now have one open spot on the 15-man roster and can sign one more player to a Two-Way contract.