The number of players entering the NBA’s health and safety protocols relating to COVID-19 has decreased this season compared to last season, yet the league continues to deal with players entering protocols every so often.
The Orlando Magic are the latest team to have to deal with a player in health and safety protocols, as big man Bol Bol will be held out until he is able to clear protocols.
Bol, 23, was the 44th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft and has spent the last three seasons with the Denver Nuggets before joining the Orlando Magic via trade in 2022.
He currently finds himself in the first year of a two-year, $4.4 million contract, a deal in which the second year of his contract is non-guaranteed.
However, it is very unlikely that the Magic will be looking to replace Bol anytime soon, as he has really stepped up into a key role for them and he is beloved by fans around the NBA simply due to his length and versatility.
In 37 games this season, 32 of which he has started in, Bol Bol has averaged 12.0 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game while shooting 58.8 percent from the floor and 38.8 percent from three-point range, all of which are career-highs.
Bol, the son of two-time NBA block champion Manute Bol has seemed to find a home in Orlando, a young team that is on the rise in the Eastern Conference.
While no official word has been given by the Orlando Magic on Bol’s condition, it is expected that he will miss the team’s next five games over the course of the next week, that is unless he clears health and safety protocols early.
The Magic will play their next game on Wednesday, January 4 at home against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
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