In a surprising move, former Oregon Duck center Bol Bol was waived by the Orlando Magic and making him a free agent.
The decision is surprising because Bol had a good season for Orlando where he played in 70 regular season games. It was also the first season where the 7-foot-2 player was healthy. He has battled foot injuries ever since Bol was at Oregon.
Bol shot nearly 55 percent from the field and averaged nine points a game for the Magic that finished with a 34-48 record in 2022-23.
After declaring for the NBA has just a half a season with the Ducks, Bol was disappointed he didn’t go in the first round of the 2019 NBA draft. He fell all the way to 44th overall when Miami finally drafted him and promptly traded the lanky center to Denver where he was limited.
At Oregon, Bol started out with a bang as he averaged 21 points per game and shot 52 percent from beyond the arc. But he participated in just nine games for the Ducks before suffering a season-ending foot injury.
No doubt the talent is there and if he can stay healthy and receive consistent playing time, an NBA squad could surely use Bol’s unique talents.