Joel Embiid Influenced Sixers’ Mo Bamba Signing

Joel Embiid was a driving force for Mo Bamba.

The Philadelphia 76ers introduced their newest center acquisition on Monday afternoon. Former Orlando Magic draft pick Mo Bamba signed with the team officially on Sunday. According to reports, Bamba is on a one-year deal in Philadelphia.

Leading up to the news of the acquisition, Bamba wasn’t linked to the Sixers much. As all the focus was on Paul Reed, who was entering negotiations with other teams as a restricted free agent, Bamba became the Sixers’ second offseason signing since free agency began.

It turns out that Joel Embiid had some influence on the signing. Meeting with the media on Monday, Bamba told a scrum of reporters Bamba issued Embiid props for convincing him to join the 76ers.

“He was a huge driving force into me coming to the Sixers,” Bamba said, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “He was like, ‘Listen, this might sound a little crazy, because we’ve been playing against each other so much, but I feel like the Sixers would be a great fit for you.’”

During the pre-draft process in 2018, Bamba developed a relationship with Embiid as he prepared for the next level following a run at Texas. In the first round of the 2018 NBA Draft, Bamba became the sixth-overall pick to the Magic.

In Orlando, Bamba had an immediate role as a reserve. When he reached year four, Bamba started in a career-high of 69 games. The following season, Bamba resumed his role off the bench, averaging 17 minutes on the floor with the Magic.

At the 2023 trade deadline, the Magic wrapped up their time with Bamba. In a four-team trade between the Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, and Denver Nuggets, Bamba was moved to the Lakers. 

The veteran’s tenure with the Lakers lasted less than one year. Last season, Bamba averaged under ten minutes on the floor in nine games. LA’s playoff run was the only time Bamba saw the court in the postseason. Bamba collected an average of three minutes across three games during the Lakers’ run.

After getting waived by the Lakers, Bamba will look forward to a fresh start in Philadelphia, where he’ll have the opportunity to compete for minutes behind Embiid. With the Sixers crowding the center spot via free agency this offseason, there will be plenty of competition for Bamba.

Along with signing the seven-foot former Magic man, the Sixers are also expected to bring back Montrezl Harrell and recently re-signed the veteran Paul Reed. And if all goes well for Filip Petrusev out in Vegas this summer, the Serbian center could find himself bringing his talents back to America long-term. 

The 76ers have plenty of options at the five this upcoming season. Bamba looks forward to reuniting with Embiid and becoming teammates with the league’s MVP for the first time in his career.