Bol Bol, who stood 7 feet 2 inches tall and played multiple positions for the Orlando Magic, was waived from his contract on Tuesday, the franchise stated.
However, you should not get your hopes up that the 7-foot-3 Kai Sotto will replace Bol in the Magic starting lineup anytime soon.
Bol, who is coming off of a career year in Orlando, agreed to push back the deadline of his $2.2 million team option on June 30, but he was still waived a few days later. Bol is coming off of a season in which he set a career-high in scoring. The former second-round pick was one of the casualties of the roster constraint that the Magic experienced after they re-signed Mo Wagner, picked up Goga Bitadze’s team option, and added Joe Ingles to their frontcourt through free agency.
The Magic have reached the current league maximum of 15 players on their roster after releasing Bol. This number includes the Magic’s draught picks, Anthony Black and Jett Howard, as well as the injured Jonathan Isaac, whose salary for the upcoming season of $17.6 million has a portion of it guaranteed. Isaac underwent adductor surgery in March, which brought an end to the season. On January 10, 2024, his salary will be fully guaranteed for the remainder of his contract.
The frontcourt of the Magic is filled with starters such as Wendell Carter Jr. and Paolo Banchero, who was the Rookie of the Year in the previous season. Additionally, the frontcourt features the foursome of Wagner, Bitadze, Ingles, and Chuma Okeke. As soon as Isaac makes his recovery from his injury, there is a noticeable increase in the number of people present.
The current situation dictates that the only possibility for Sotto to continue playing for Orlando is on a two-way deal.
This season, each NBA team is allowed to carry a maximum of three players who are eligible to play in both the G League and the NBA. These players are known as “two-way” players. At this time, only Kevon Harris is signed to a deal that allows him to play for both the Magic and another team.
However, since Sotto is an undrafted free agent, he is eligible to be picked up by any other team outside of Orlando and signed to a normal contract by that team. It is not necessary that he accomplish anything beyond standing out in the Summer League.
After spending his first three NBA seasons sitting on the bench in Denver, Bol finally got his opportunity to play for the Orlando Magic in the previous season, and the fans embraced him as a result. Bol became a fan favourite in Orlando. Jamahl Mosley, head coach of the Magic, provided an opportunity for the player who was selected 44th overall in the 2019 NBA Draught, and that player took advantage of it. It didn’t take him long to demonstrate the size-appropriate versatility and agility that led to his being rated as a 4-star prospect straight out of high school.
In 21.5 minutes a game for the Magic, Bol shot 54.6% from the field and averaged 9.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and 1.2 blocks while shooting 54.6% from the field. He participated in 70 games, which is an increase of 27 games in comparison to the total number of games he played throughout his first three seasons in the league.
Bol played in all 33 games for the Magic, but his future with the team took a dramatic turn when he was first moved to the bench and then taken totally out of the rotation towards the conclusion of the season. Bol played in all 33 games but did not start any of them.
