Jazz, Mo Bamba agree to contract

Scotto doesn’t specify what type of contract Bamba will sign, but given the timing and the fact that Utah has 15 players on guaranteed standard deals, it seems likely to be a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 contract that may contain Exhibit 10 language as well.

The Jazz currently have 20 players on their roster (two on Exhibit 10 deals and three on two-way contracts in addition to the other 15), one shy of the offseason limit. Signing Bamba will put them at 21.

Bamba, 27, was the sixth overall pick of the 2018 draft after one college season at Texas. He holds seven years of NBA experience, mostly with Orlando.

After signing a minimum-salary deal with Philadelphia in 2023/24, Bamba hit free agency again last summer and signed another veteran’s minimum contract, this time with the Clippers. He appeared in 28 games with L.A. before being traded to Utah in a salary-dump deal involving P.J. Tucker. The Jazz waived him the following day.

Bamba spent some time in the G League with the Pelicans’ affiliate while looking for another NBA opportunity and found one on March 10, when he signed a 10-day deal with New Orleans. Bamba has been an unrestricted free agent since that contract expired.

In 32 appearances last season with the Clips and Pels, Bamba averaged 4.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.0 block in 13.2 minutes per game. He holds career averages of 6.8 PPG, 5.4 RPG and 1.3 BPG in 364 games (16.8 MPG).

Bamba reportedly drew interest from multiple EuroLeague teams this offseason, but we hadn’t seen him linked to an NBA club until now.