Magic Shockingly Releases Bol Bol Despite Standout Seasons

Fan favorite center Bol Bol will not be returning to the Orlando Magic for the 2023-24 NBA season.

The 7-foot-2 big man got waived by the team during the Tuesday deadline for his $2.2 million salary guarantee for the upcoming season. He made $2.161 million in 2022-23.

Bol spent the first two-and-a-half seasons of his career with the Denver Nuggets before being traded to the Magic in January 2022.

He signed a two-year contract worth $4.4 million with the Magic last summer, but this season's salary was non-guaranteed.

The 23-year-old was one of three players with team options for the Magic to pick up entering the free agency period. They exercised their options on Gary Harris and Markelle Fultz.

Why Did Bol Bol Get Waived?

Bol averaged career-highs in almost every facet of his game last season, putting up 9.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1.2 blocks in 21.5 minutes per game while playing 70 games, starting in 33 of them.

While it may seem like a boneheaded move cutting a young prospect with an upward trajectory, Bol is caught in the middle of a roster crunch after the Magic acquired Joe Ingles and re-signed Mo Wagner.

The South Sudanese American could face difficulty cracking the rotation with the team's stacked frontcourt.

The Dallas Mavericks were interested in the big man during the 2023 NBA Draft, and they could now pick him up as an unrestricted free agent.