The Celtics just added some serious height, though it will sit on the bench for the foreseeable future.
Boston acquired 7-foot-2 center Bol Bol in a three-team trade Tuesday, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowksi. The Nuggets are also sending guard P.J. Dozier to the Celtics, and the C’s are shipping forward Juancho Hernangomez to the Spurs.
Bol Bol is slated to undergo foot surgery and will be out for the next 8-12 weeks, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic. The Pistons voided their trade for Bol Bol last week due to a failed physical.
The son of Manute Bol, who at 7-foot-7 was one of the tallest players in league history, the Heat drafted Bol Bol with the No. 44 overall pick in the NBA Draft before trading him to the Nuggets. That’s many slots below where Bol Bol was projected to be selected before suffering a season-ending foot injury as a freshman at the University of Oregon. He was considered one of the best prospects in college basketball entering the 2018-19 season.
While Bol Bol has flashed a versatile game, he struggled to see the floor in Denver. He averages 6.2 minutes per game. The big man is averaging 2.4 points and 1.4 rebounds per contest this season.
So why did the Celtics trade for a tall player who is injured? The move allows them to cut about $4 million in salary, and they’ll get the chance to evaluate him when he returns to the court.
Dozier is in a similar situation. The guard tore his ACL in November, and will be out the rest of the season. He’s averaging 6.4 points per game in his career.
This deal is about the long-term for the Celtics. In the meantime, we’ll get to see the 7-foot-6 Tacko Fall sit next to the 7-2 Bol. That’s one big Tacko Bol.
I’ll show myself out.