Former Lakers Center Being Recruited by International Club

As NBA's free agent summer winds down, the musical chairs aspect of the process could leave several veteran players without a team heading into training camp. Things have already gotten so limited that 3-and-D swingman Amir Coffey, a good player, agreed to a non-guaranteed training camp deal with the Milwaukee Bucks.

At this stage, players start looking abroad for their next hoops opportunity. International clubs seek out NBA-caliber talent to shore up their depth ahead of their own seasons.

Now, a free agent former Los Angeles Lakers playoff big man is getting overseas overtures.

Journeyman center Mo Bamba, a former lottery selection, is reportedly considering his next employment options beyond the league.

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Bamba, 27, a floor-spacing, rim-protecting big, never quite established himself as a reliable reserve center in the modern NBA. He's had plenty of chances. He logged his first four-and-a-half seasons with the Orlando Magic, before being traded to the Lakers midway through the 2022-23 season.

With L.A., Bamba was expected to be a jump-shooting big who could help shore up the club's depth beyond then-starter Anthony Davis. He played sparingly, however, as he struggled with his health that spring, appearing in just nine games. Bamba averaged 3.7 points on .407/.313/.545 shooting splits, 4.6 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks in 9.8 minutes per.

Across a seven-year NBA career with five teams, Bamba has only ever suited up in the playoffs as a Laker, appearing in just three of L.A.'s 16 playoff games during its 2023 run to the Western Conference Finals. Rui Hachimura and LeBron James essentially became the team's small-ball centers behind Davis, with end-of-year signing Tristan Thompson getting spot minutes.

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Following that Lakers stint, Bamba next signed on with the Philadelphia 76ers to serve as then-reigning MVP Joel Embiid's primary backup, and began 2024-25 as Ivica Zubac's backup on the L.A. Clippers. He was traded to the Utah Jazz and quickly waived midseason. Bamba was eventually signed to a 10-day deal with the New Orleans Pelicans in March, appearing in four games.

The 7-footer out of the University of Texas at Austin was selected with the No. 6 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic, ahead of eventual MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (the No. 11 pick out of Kentucky), eventual All-NBA guard Jalen Brunson (No. 33), and such stellar talents as Collin Sexton (No. 8), eventual All-Defensive Team wing Mikal Bridges (No. 10), Miles Bridges (No. 12), Michael Porter Jr. (No. 14), and Donte DiVincenzo (No. 17).

Per Vasiliki Karamouza of Sport24.gr, Serbian squad Partizan Belgrade has tendered an offer to Bamba. If he can't land a guaranteed NBA deal (which at this stage feels like a tall task), it may be worth considering. His rim protecting skills have always been a bit overblown, and he's become a foul liability (for his career, he's averaging a whopping 2.1 fouls in just 16.8 minutes). Bamba's reputation as a 3-point shooting big man has eroded, after he connected on just 27.8 percent of his 1.7 triple tries last year with the Clippers and Pelicans.

For his career, Bamba boasts averages of 6.8 points on .477/.356/.682 shooting splits, 5.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks across 364 games (101 starts).

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