Leandro Bolmaro

Leandro Bolmaro's Biography

Leandro Nicolás Bolmaro is a highly talented Argentine-Italian professional basketball player whose journey traverses from the heart of Argentina to the premier international basketball stage. Born on 11 September 2000 in Argentina, Bolmaro proved his dedication to the game of basketball at a young age. He began honing his skills with the youth teams of a local club named Almafuerte in his home town, Las Varillas, in Córdoba. His first global recognition came when he participated in the World Team at the prestigious Nike Hoop Summit in Portland, Oregon on 13 April 2018.

An essential step in Bolmaro’s career was his transition to professional basketball at only 16 years old. On 16 July 2017, he commenced his professional career with Estudiantes de Bahía Blanca, a team in the Liga Nacional de Básquet (LNB), Argentina’s premier basketball league. Throughout the 2017-2018 season, Bolmaro held a respectable record, averaging 2.0 points, 0.7 rebounds, 0.5 assists, and 0.4 steals, in just 7.2 minutes per game.

Yearning for a challenging and enriching professional experience, Bolmaro moved to Spain to join the esteemed FC Barcelona club for the 2018-2019 LEB Oro season, Spain’s second-level league. In his tenure with the Barcelona reserve team, Bolmaro participated in 33 games, becoming a dominant force on the court, averaging 10.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.2 steals per game with an average playing time of 24.1 minutes per game.

The 2019-2020 season witnessed a significant advancement in Bolmaro’s career as he divided his time playing for both, Barcelona’s reserve team and the senior team, taking part in Liga ACB, the premier Spanish League, and the EuroLeague. For the reserve team, performing in the Spanish 3rd Division season, he recorded an average of 14.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.8 steals per game in the 9 games he participated in.

Bolmaro showed a true commitment to Barcelona by signing a contract extension through 2023 on 13 August 2020. Despite being selected in the NBA draft, Bolmaro chose to remain with FC Barcelona, enhancing his standing as a dedicated and loyal team player.

In an unexpected turn of events, Bolmaro paid his buyout clause in September 2021 to depart from Barcelona. His departure paved his way to the United States by allowing him to sign a 4-year rookie-scale contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Originally picked 23rd overall by the New York Knicks during the 2020 NBA draft, Bolmaro’s draft rights were eventually traded to the Timberwolves in a three-team trade deal. His first stint in the NBA began on 18 September 2021, signing a 4-year, $11.8M contract and making his NBA debut just a month later on the 20 October 2021 for the Timberwolves against the Houston Rockets.

In a dramatic trade agreement on 6 July 2022, Bolmaro, along with a host of other players and draft rights, was traded to the Utah Jazz in exchange for Rudy Gobert. However, his tenure with the Jazz was short-lived as he reached a contract buyout agreement and was waived subsequently on 16 February 2023. A new chapter began for Bolmaro on 2 March 2023 when he signed up for Lenovo Tenerife of the Liga ACB, and then, on 19 July 2023, he moved to Bayern Munich. However, his journey with the German team ended in July 2024 as he opted out of his contract.

Parallel to his club career, Bolmaro has had significant achievements in representing Argentina across various age groups. His prominent performances include winning the silver medal with Argentina’s U-17 team at the FIBA South America U-17 Championship in Lima, Peru in 2017, where he was the team’s top scorer with 13.8 points per game. He also served as Argentina’s leading scorer in the 2019 FIBA U-19 World Cup held in Heraklion, Greece.

A watershed moment for Bolmaro arrived at the 2022 FIBA AmeriCup held in Recife, Brazil, wherein he clinched the gold medal with the senior team. His contribution as one of Argentina’s shooting guards played a crucial role in the team’s success, making him a respected figure in the national team. Despite an early exit from his first Olympic appearance in 2020 due to a minor strain, Bolmaro’s spirit remains unyielding, promising a bright future in the world of basketball.