Report: Players debuting in bubble eligible for 2021 Rookie of the Year

Rookies making their NBA debut during their team's eight seeding games in Orlando will still be eligible to win the Rookie of the Year award in 2021, sources told Tim Bontemps of ESPN.

The league decided not to restrict those rookies from being eligible for next year's award after ruling that the seeding games would not factor into this season's honors, Bontemps adds.

Denver Nuggets rookie Bol Bol is perhaps the best-known potential beneficiary of the league's reported decision. Bol's rights were immediately traded to the Nuggets when the Miami Heat drafted him 44th overall in 2019. He later signed a two-way contract with Denver but has split the year between the G League and the Nuggets' bench.

The Nuggets, however, brought the 7-foot-2 center to the Disney World campus, and Bol impressed during their scrimmages. He averaged 13.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, and three blocks while also shooting 35.3% from distance. Bol has yet to make his official NBA debut since the exhibition contests are considered preseason games.

Voting for all of the 2019-20 end-of-season awards, including MVP, Coach of the Year, and Rookie of the Year, concludes Tuesday.