The Phoenix Suns signed forward Bol Bol after a week-plus of speculation he would join the team, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported.
Bol, who is listed at 7-foot-2 and 220 pounds, is the son of NBA legend Manute Bol and has an interesting skill set. He played last season at power forward for the Orlando Magic, who misused his talents as a player who can block shots and provide some interesting ability. He had the best season of his career but it makes sense the Suns seem to believe they can unlock more out of the 23-year-old.
Here is a free agency analysis for Bol. Wojnarowski also reported the Suns traded Cameron Payne to the San Antonio Spurs Sunday for a future second-round pick.
Strengths
Bol was rated a five-star prospect in he 2018 class. He has above-average ability at his height in terms of dribbling. Bol has been in highlight tapes seen dribbling the ball the entire length of the floor, playing point guard at times and taking deep 3-point shots. However, that is not who Suns fans should expect they are getting.
Bol is flawed as a player. He is 7-foot-2 and has a 7-foot-8 wingspan, which has contributed to him being a good rim defender in the NBA. However, he has a great percentage defending around the rim and has an interesting offensive package the Suns could try and flesh out.
Phoenix does not need Bol to be a regular rotation player. But he could work his way into the mix if he fleshes out his talent, which is very possible with new head coach Frank Vogel.
Vogel has a great track record of developing big men. Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert was a two-time All-Star last decade and earned all-defensive second-team honors in 2014. Then, he helped build a scheme for the Los Angeles Lakers that excelled in showing Anthony Davis' proficiencies as a ball-hawk and defender around the rim. The Lakers had a top-three defensive rating when they won the 2020 NBA championship and had the top-rated mark in 2020-21.
Vogel has said in his press conferences his defensive scheme, which has helped lead teams to the NBA's top defensive rating three times since 2012, is centered around a defensive anchor. Suns center Deandre Ayton has expectations to develop into an All-Star big man in a system that may favor him more than coach Monty Williams' principles. If he does not, that may be more of an indictment on Ayton and his concerns about immaturity and a lack of aggressive play.
Bol could at best compete with Drew Eubanks, who the Suns also signed in free agency, and Chimezie Metu for minutes as a backup big. Phoenix will likely settle on players it believes in at the end of the year, so Bol will have to show steady progress in order to prove he is capable of minutes in a playoff run assuming he reaches that ceiling.
Weaknesses
Do not be fooled: Bol has above-average ability on his frame that is close to rare for a player at his size. But the Suns have not found a diamond in the rough that could resemble the ability of Victor Wembanyama, unless Bol fully unlocks everything he is capable of doing while staying healthy.
He can shoot from the outside but he has not been good at it. Bol shot 25 percent and 26.5 percent from 3-point range in the last two seasons. Granted, some of this could be since the Magic did not use him well as a power forward. But this is supposed to be a part of his game that separates him and makes him a more unique talent, and that has not been something he can rely on.
Bol is also a tweener. He has the size and capability of fulfilling a role as a shot-blocker, but he played as a forward, wing and ball-handler in high school and early parts of college that may confuse him in terms of who he thinks he is. Coaches have to dial in that Bol has to fill a certain role, and Vogel seems like the type of coach who will do that.
Bol could not find a role on the Denver Nuggets in his first two seasons. Injuries hurt his draft stock in 2019, when he was widely expected to be a third pick perhaps after Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett. He injured his left foot at Oregon and left his developmental progress up in the air. It is a shame, since Duck coach Dana Altman has helped coach some NBA talent in his career.
Bol has a chance to compete with the Suns, who have a great staff and culture in place. Phoenix president of basketball operations and general manager James Jones must see something in Bol the Suns could perhaps work with. He does have talent and can be fine-tuned into something valuable if he shows work ethic.
At the very least, Bol will find himself toward the end of the bench as an option the team can go to. He can show he has worth early in the season. If not, this is a low-risk signing for the Suns that makes them better at the end of their bench.
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