Former 76er’s Preseason Debut With Clippers on Hold vs. Warriors

Former Sixers center Mo Bamba won't make his preseason debut with the Clippers on Saturday.

Mar 27, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; LA Clippers center Ivica Zubac (40) and Philadelphia 76ers center Mo Bamba (5) tip off to start the first quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

For Saturday night’s preseason opener against the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Clippers, there are a handful of former Philadelphia 76ers involved on both sides.

LA will have its eyes on the former Sixers guard James Harden as he’ll be heavily featured in the Clippers’ plans for their title chase in 2024-2025. However, Saturday was expected to mark the Clippers preseason debut of the former 76ers center Mo Bamba as well.

Unfortunately, Bamba’s debut will be on hold. According to Clippers on SI’s Farbod Esnaashari, Bamba will miss Saturday night’s action due to knee soreness.

Last season, Bamba linked with the Sixers after runs with the Orlando Magic and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Heading into training camp in 2023, the Sixers had plenty of depth at the center position, leaving Bamba to compete with several players for minutes behind Joel Embiid.

Bamba wouldn’t win the primary backup spot, but he did appear in 57 games with Philadelphia. He also collected 17 starts. Overall, Bamba averaged 13 minutes of playing time on the Sixers.

Throughout the 2023-2024 season, Bamba produced four points and four rebounds per game. When the Sixers reached the first round of the playoffs for a matchup against the New York Knicks, Bamba stuck to the bench, as Philly favored Paul Reed behind Embiid.

Since landing in the NBA as the sixth-overall pick in 2018, Bamba has struggled to live up to the early expectations he had in Orlando. While he had a steady role with the Magic for four seasons, Bamba was traded midway through his fifth year. He landed on the Lakers for a nine-game run in 2022-2023.

Bamba will get another shot to make an impact out in LA. This time, he’ll do it with the Clippers.

Since Bamba won’t debut as early as Saturday night against the Warriors, the former Sixer could be looking at a return to action against the Brooklyn Nets next Tuesday.

More 76ers on SI

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Nick Nurse Praises Jared McCain at Training Camp

Grizzlies Star Mentions Joel Embiid at Camp