Denver Bought a High-Upside Draft Swing for a Small Asset Package
Miami selected Bol Bol at No. 44 in the 2019 draft and immediately sent his rights to Denver. The Heat's own announcement says the return was a 2022 second-round pick and cash considerations; the transaction ledger specifies $1.2 million and the less favorable of Philadelphia's and Denver's 2022 seconds. Bol had fallen well beyond the first-round range once projected for him, making the deal a low-cost upside bet for a Nuggets team that entered draft night without a selection.
Bol Never Became a Denver Rotation Fixture
The upside did not fully arrive in Denver. Bol appeared in 53 regular-season games across three seasons for the Nuggets and averaged 2.7 points overall. His largest Denver sample was 32 games in 2020-21, but he averaged only five minutes that season. A January 2022 deal that would have sent him to Detroit was rescinded after he did not receive medical clearance. The modest production is why Denver's canonical B grade should not be inflated into a runaway draft steal.
Miami's Draft Asset Was Eventually Forfeited
Miami did receive real value on trade night: $1.2 million in cash plus the future second-round asset. The problem is that the pick never became a drafted player for the Heat. NBA draft-order records show the Philadelphia-via-Denver second that had been routed to Miami was forfeited in 2022. The league had penalized Miami by taking its next available second-round selection after finding improper timing in free-agency discussions involving Kyle Lowry. That left the cash as the only realized piece of the original return.
Bol Still Retained Enough Value to Be Moved Again
Denver ultimately included Bol Bol with PJ Dozier and a protected 2028 second-round pick in the January 2022 three-team transaction that brought Bryn Forbes from San Antonio. Bol cannot be credited with the full Forbes return because Dozier and another pick were also part of Denver's package, but his inclusion shows that the rights acquired from Miami remained a transaction asset after three seasons of limited minutes. Denver therefore got NBA appearances plus some residual trade utility from a cost that ended with no player selected by Miami.
Final Verdict
Nuggets Win — Denver B, Miami C. Bol Bol never developed into a regular Denver contributor, appearing in 53 games and averaging 2.7 points, so this was not a hidden superstar acquisition. Denver nevertheless turned a future second and cash into three seasons of control over a high-upside prospect who later remained part of another trade package. Miami received $1.2 million and a 2022 second-round asset, but that pick was ultimately forfeited as the franchise's league penalty for premature Kyle Lowry free-agency discussions. The realized value therefore favors Denver without overstating what Bol became for the Nuggets.