The Denver Nuggets ended the Bol Bol experiment this weekend by trading him to the Detroit Pistons for Rodney McGruder and a second draft pick. ESPN’s top insider Adrian Wojnarowski broke the news Sunday afternoon.
The Detroit Pistons are finalizing a deal to acquire l Denver Nuggets’ F Bol Bol for Rodney McGruder and a future second-round pick, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 9, 2022
At one time, Bol Bol, who is the son of the late NBA player Manute Bol, was the 44th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft by the Nuggets filled with potential and a game full of intrigue. Despite being a fan favorite, he has not cracked the rotation for any consistent minutes. This season, Bol appeared in only 15 games with averages of only 2.4 points and 1.4 rebounds.
Bol’s most significant contributions were in the G-League with the Windy City Bulls, where he averaged 12.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks last season.
With Bol becoming a restricted free agent this summer and with the recent signing of DeMarcus Cousins, the team decided to invest in McGruder, who provides some extra depth in the backcourt to buy more time until Jamal Murray returns from a torn ACL. McGruder is averaging 2.5 points and 1.6 rebounds this season.
The young Pistons team provides Bol with an opportunity to get on the court. Bol also fills in the Pistons’ need for size and length as a seven-footer to a team that’s been missing Kelly Olynyk, who is still out indefinitely after suffering an sprained left knee sprain in November.