Leandro Bolmaro's Draft Scouting Report: Pro Comparison, Updated T-Wolves Roster
Leandro Bolmaro has completed the leap from Spain to the NBA, becoming the newest member of the Minnesota Timberwolves with the No. 23 overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft on Wednesday.
Minnesota traded the Nos. 25 and 33 picks to the New York Knicks for Bolmaro.
Bleacher Report Draft Expert Jonathan Wasserman's Scouting Report
Player: Leandro Bolmaro
Position: SG
Height: 6'7"
Weight: 182 lbs
Pro Comparison: Joe Ingles
Scouting Report: Even without a lot of reps against high-level competition, Leandro Bolmaro has stood out to scouts for his 6'7" size, ball-handling and flashy passing. The NBA loves playmaking wings and multipositional defenders, and if Bolmaro can just go from capable to competant as a three-point shooter, his two-way versatility should lead to a long career.
Here's how he fits in on his new roster:
Leandro Bolmaro, SG: Rookie scale contract (2024)
Karl-Anthony Towns, C: $31.7M (2024)
Anthony Edwards, G: Rookie scale contract (2024)
D'Angelo Russell, PG: $29.3M (2023)
James Johnson, PF: $14.4M (2021)
Jarrett Culver, SF: $6M (2023)
Jake Layman, SF: $3.8M (2022)
Josh Okogie, SG: $2.5M (2022)
Jacob Evans, SG: $1.9M (2022)
Omari Spellman, PF: $1.8M (2022)
Naz Reid, PF: $1.4M (2023)
Jarred Vanderbilt, PF: $1.3M (2021)
Jaylen Nowell, G: $1.2M (2023)
Evan Turner, SF: UFA
James Johnson, PF: Player option
Juan Hernangomez, PF: UFA
Malik Beasley, SG: RFA
Jordan McLaughlin, PG: RFA
Kelan Martin, SF: RFA
An intriguing prospect at 19 years old, the Argentine had been with FC Barcelona Lassa since 2018 as he worked his way to the sport's top league.
Though Bolmaro only played 13 minutes per game last year, he showed enough potential for NBA scouts to fawn over his abilities as a passer and defender.
Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman named Bolmaro the 33rd-best prospect on his big board in late October, with plenty of unknowns highlighting his resume:
"Bolmaro has started the 2020-21 season with Barcelona in the Spanish ACB, and though his shot hasn't fallen, a 10-assist game last week showed what makes the 6'7" wing different. He'll need to keep improving his shooting to score in the NBA, but playmaking and defensive energy separate him."
Sam Vecenie of The Athletic felt that ranking was premature, originally listing Bolmaro at No. 38 on his big board in April before moving him down to No. 44 a few weeks later.
This would appear to be a bit of a project for the Timberwolves, as they'll need to get the wing in the gym to fully assess what he offers and how best to develop him.
Plenty of European stars have successfully made the leap to the NBA, though, and Bolmaro is now ready to add his name to that list and prove the doubters wrong.
