COLUMN: WILL BOL BOL BE TNT'S IMPORT? HERE'S REAL SCORE SO FAR

CHICAGO - After an exhaustive search, TNT has found a blue-chip asset to fill in the duties of injured resident import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson in the PBA Season 50 Commissioner's Cup.

Former NBA player Bol Bol.

While a TNT official told me on Friday night that the team is "talking to his reps and had a Zoom meeting with him," no deal has been reached.

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"He hasn't signed and nothing is imminent," said the source who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

With the telecommunications giant's massive resources, signing Bol is highly doable but not easy.

LET'S PLAY BOL.

Previously represented by Thad Foucher of Wasserman Sports, the son of Manute Bol could command a price tag of "$50k to $60k a month" overseas, an NBA agent told me.

For perspective, RHJ, who also had a six-year NBA stint, was signed to a one-year exclusive deal with the Tropang 5G worth in the vicinity of P70,000 a month plus bonuses, per multiple sources.

Before he suffered a catastrophic Achilles injury last December during an EASL game donning the Meralco Bolts uniform, RHJ had carried TNT to three PBA titles.

In Bol, perhaps, TNT may have discovered another gem.

"He is monstrously big, a 7-foot-3 forward with a 7-foot-8 wingspan. Quick on his feet, Bol can be dominant on both ends of the floor.

"And under the right circumstances, he can be a cheat code." NBA reporter Grant Afseth, who covers the Dallas Mavericks full-time, told SPIN.ph.

THE NEXT BIG PBA STAR?

Picked 44th overall in the 2019 had a six-season stint that included stops in Denver, Orlando and Phoenix. He appeared in 202 NBA games and logged career averages of 6.2 points and 3.5 rebounds while shooting 54.5 percent from the field.

It's unclear whether work ethic, attitude, or output is the reason why he hasn't latched on an NBA team after leaving the Suns following the 2024-25 season.

Per BasketballReference,com, the 220-lb Bol has made $10.5 million in NBA salaries. Chances are, his choice of where to play next will not be necessarily financially motivated.

At age 26 and still approaching his athletic prime, I hope he'll choose the Philippines.

He can use a dominant PBA Commissioner's Cup performance as a springboard to a potential NBA return and Pinoy fans will be swift to embrace him.

Bol don't lie.

2026-02-07T04:15:06Z