Bol Bol remains with Phoenix Suns on one-year deal, team announces

Phoenix Suns reserve big man Bol Bol will remain with the team on a one-year deal after a limited but promising season with the team last year, the team announced Sunday.

Due to the Suns’ salary cap situation, they were limited to giving Bol a slight raise because they did not hold his Bird rights which accrue with multiple seasons of playing for a single team.

Phoenix could only offer him a 120% raise or 120% of the veteran minimum salary for the big man’s previous five years of NBA service.

Bol earned $2.2 million last season.

Under since-fired head coach Frank Vogel, the 24-year-old averaged 5.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 0.6 blocks in 10.6 minutes per game last season.

He shot 61.6 percent from the field and made 42.3 percent of his three-pointers, developing a sense of how to pick his spots and stay confident in an offense dominated by stars Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal.

The Suns entered the offseason with the return of center Jusuf Nurkic and the return of backup center Drew Eubanks, who opted out of his contract, leaving room for Bol or others to replace him as the big backup.

The 6-foot-4 Bol entered the NBA after a single, injury-plagued year with the Oregon Ducks. Once considered a potential lottery pick, he was selected 44th overall by the Denver Nuggets in 2019 but has failed to find a place on a competitive team.

Denver attempted to trade him to the Detroit Pistons in 2022, but the offer was rescinded due to a failed physical. Ultimately, Bol was traded a few weeks later to the Boston Celtics, who promptly re-routed him to the Orlando Magic. There, the center had his best statistical season — 9.1 points and 5.8 rebounds — over 70 games in 2022-23.

He was released last season before signing with the Suns on a one-year contract.

Follow @AZSports