Sixers add Westtown School grad on minimum deal

CAMDEN - The Sixers announced late Wednesday evening the signing of Westtown School grad Mo Bamba to a vet minimum deal for the 2023-23 NBA season.

Bamba, the former 6th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic, has spent the majority of his five professional seasons attempting to find himself in the NBA. The Harlem native spent the first four full seasons of his career with the Magic before being traded to the LA Lakers at last season’s trade deadline as a part of a four-team deal. Bamba would later be released by the Lakers following the 2022-23 season.

During his young career, Bamba posted sub-par numbers for a player with the expectations fastened to him. The University of Texas product has averaged 7.5 PPG, 5.8 TRB, and 0.9 AST, but his production seems to have taken a hit as of late following last year’s move to Los Angeles.

Before being shipped to LA, Bamba was embarking on a breakout campaign with the Magic averaging 7.3 PPG, 4.6 TRB, and 1.0 BLK in 40 games, six of which Bamba started. This all comes after a career season in 2021-22, where Bamba averaged career highs across the board with 10.6 PPG, 8.6 TRB, 1.2 AST, and 1.7 BLK. Bringing up reason to believe that a change of scenery may not have been what Bamba needed, as it seemed the former top-10 pick may have finally been coming into his own in the NBA.

Now as the Sixers embark on a new era of Basketball under head coach Nick Nurse, Bamba will once again need to find his footing in a novel environment. Bamba has displayed his natural talents on more than one occasion, showing time and time again that he has all the tools to be a top center in the league. If the Sixers can play their cards right, coaching up Bamba the right way, they may be able to unlock an entirely new facet to a playbook that has been solely limited by the health and stamina of Joel Embiid.

Embiid’s unpredictable health has been a sore subject for the Sixers for years as the 7’2 big man has struggled to stay on the court whether it be injury or load management. We saw, sparingly, a new offensive approach in the short time Andre Drummond joined the club before being moved for James Harden in mid-2022. The Sixers weren’t as reliant on Embiid to be on the court every day for 30+ minutes a night. With the presence of Drummond, they were able to platoon Joel and keep him fresh for the game’s big minutes, a practice that could return with the addition of Bamba.

Though, for now, the Sixers focus shifts to their summer league club which takes on the OKC Thunder tonight at 7:00 pm ET on ESPN2.