Jazz Bringing Back Mo Bamba On Two-Year Deal

The 28-year-old center signed a pair of 10-day deals with Utah last season on February 26 and March 8, although the second contract was terminated after five days so the team could add Bez Mbeng. Bamba appeared in two games during that time, averaging five points, 10 rebounds and one block in 19 minutes per night.

He’ll be part of a center rotation that was depleted when the Jazz agreed to sign-and-trade Walker Kessler to the Lakers. The other big men on Utah’s roster are Jusuf Nurkic, who is expected to re-sign for two years, and former Laker Jaxson Hayes, who agreed to a two-year deal in free agency.

The Jazz will have 14 players with standard contracts when all the deals are finalized, with all three of their two-way slots currently filled.

Bamba’s career got off to a promising start in Orlando after being selected with the sixth pick in the 2018 draft, but he has bounced around the league after being traded to the Lakers midway through the 2022/23 season. He had brief stops with the Sixers, Clippers and Pelicans since then, and spent about a week with the Raptors last winter.

Bamba played part of last season with Utah’s G League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars. He got into 10 games (five starts) and posted 16.2 points, 11.8 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in 26.6 minutes per night.