The Toronto Raptors have bolstered their roster by signing Mo Bamba, a seven-foot center. The NBA team officially announced the acquisition of the 2018 lottery draft pick on Monday following earlier reports of the deal. The terms of the contract were not made public.
Bamba’s arrival provides the Raptors with added height in the frontcourt while their starting center, Jakob Poeltl, is sidelined with a back injury. The team has faced challenges in rim protection in Poeltl’s absence. In a recent game against Golden State, power forward Scottie Barnes, standing at six-foot-eight, filled in at center and grabbed an impressive 25 rebounds during the Raptors’ 141-127 overtime victory. However, Barnes is undersized for the position. Another temporary center in Poeltl’s absence has been the six-foot-nine forward from Georgia, Sandro Mamukelashvili.
The 27-year-old Bamba, who was born in New York to Ivorian parents, was originally chosen sixth overall by the Orlando Magic in the 2018 NBA draft. Despite moving between various teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia, the Los Angeles Clippers, and New Orleans, Bamba has yet to leave a significant mark in his seven NBA seasons. Across 364 NBA games, with 101 starts, he has averaged 6.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in about 16.8 minutes per game.
During the current season, Bamba played 14 games for the Salt Lake City Stars, the G League affiliate of the Utah Jazz, demonstrating his skills with averages of 16.5 points, 12.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 2.9 blocks in approximately 28.7 minutes per game.
Bamba’s first game with the Raptors was against his former team, the Orlando Magic, on Monday night.