MIAMI (United States) – Argentinian guard Leandro Bolmaro will join the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves for the upcoming season.
The 21-year-old will become the 16th player in his country’s history to play in the NBA. He also joins the four Argentines who currently have a contract in the league, Facundo Campazzo (Denver Nuggets), Gabriel Deck (Oklahoma City Thunder) and Luca Vildoza (New York Knicks). Bolmaro will also find a familiar face in Minnesota, the team’s technical assistant Argentinian Pablo Prigioni.
Bolmaro was drafted with the 23rd pick in the 2020 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks, then immediately traded to the Timberwolves. He delayed his start in the league for a year, a decision that allowed him to add more reps to his stat sheet.
The 2.01m player made his pro debut in 2017 at the age of 17, with Bahia Club, in the Argentine Development League. Then he went to play with FC Barcelona in Spain. In his last stint with the Catalan club he averaged 4.7 points, 1.6 assists, 1.3 rebounds in 63 games.
He then joined Argentina’s training camp in the summer and earned a spot in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics squad to make his debut with the senior national team.
Now, the Córdoba native, will take on a new challenge as his NBA career starts with the Timberwolves.
“I am very excited. I waited for this moment for a long time, it is a dream come true,” Bolmaro said during his official presentation with Minnesota.
The guard-point guard, who played in a FIBA U-17 South American Championship and also the 2019 FIBA U-19 World Cup, agreed to a four-season contract. The organization has high expectations for Bolmaro.
“This kid is not scared, that’s what we love about him,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said during the press conference.
Talent and physique are Bolmaro’s greatest strengths, which have already been put to the test on big stages and that invite us to be optimistic in this new stage of his career.
FIBA
