49 NBA games. That’s the number Leandro Bolmaro wants to leave behind as a footnote, not a headline. After a championship season with Olimpia Milano, the Argentine guard is openly targeting a return to the league he left in 2023.
Drafted in 2020, Bolmaro logged those 49 appearances with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Utah Jazz before heading back to Europe. His latest campaign in Italy, though, has rewritten his résumé: Italian champion, Best Sixth Man, and Best Defender of the Playoffs.
“I work every day to get back to the NBA,” Bolmaro told TNT Data Sports, as reported by Uno Contra Uno.
His NBA stats are thin, appearances, not production, but the shift in his role overseas is obvious. In Milan, Bolmaro earned recognition in two areas that matter for modern guards: second-unit impact over a full season, and defensive excellence when the stakes were highest.
| Career marker | Figure or outcome | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| NBA Draft | 2020 | Entry point to the NBA |
| NBA games played | 49 | Combined appearances for Minnesota and Utah |
| NBA departure | 2023 | Start of his return to European basketball |
| Latest season | Italian championship | Team success with Olimpia Milano |
| Individual awards | 2 | Best Sixth Man and Best Defender of the Playoffs |
Sixth man, first impact
Bolmaro’s Best Sixth Man award says plenty about his season. He wasn’t defined by a starting role, but by his ability to change games off the bench. Sixth men are measured by how they steady a team when rotations shift, keep the offense moving, and deliver reliable minutes without the comfort of opening tip.
That job demands a different kind of confidence. For Bolmaro, this season was a turning point mentally. “It was a very positive season, especially mentally. It gave me a different way of seeing things,” he said.
He focused less on numbers, more on belief. “Before, I didn’t believe I was capable of certain things. Today, that is no longer the case,” Bolmaro added.
That’s the real shift. He logged 49 NBA games, but his year in Milan brought a title and individual honors in roles that NBA teams value: rotation strength and playoff defense. Those don’t guarantee a return, but they’re proof of growth since leaving the league.
Playoff defense on the biggest stage
Best Defender of the Playoffs stands out. Bolmaro earned it during Milano’s championship run, not in a lost season. The award doesn’t come with a breakdown of steals, blocks, or advanced metrics, but it’s the clearest available measure of his postseason impact.
It adds another layer to his profile. One award recognizes his season-long bench role, the other singles out his defense when it mattered most.
For a guard eyeing another NBA shot, that combination is hard to ignore. Bolmaro’s time in Milan put him in a winning environment and credited him for both rotational value and playoff defense.
He’s not treating the NBA as a closed chapter. The goal is daily, not distant. “I work every day to get back to the NBA,” Bolmaro said.
