Lakers Cut Mo Bamba; Magic Return?

Mo Bamba, who played with the Orlando Magic from 2018-23, now has the opportunity to pick his next team.

A former member of the Orlando Magic is looking for a new home.

The Los Angeles Lakers have cut Mo Bamba, according to Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer. The big man spent parts of five seasons with the Orlando Magic before they traded him to the Lakers ahead of the trade deadline this past season. 

After the trade, Bamba saw a decrease in playing time, seeing an average of 9.8 minutes per game in nine regular season appearances. This was a 7.2 minutes per game decrease from the Magic. 

Right now, the Magic have a depth chart that would see Goga Bitazde as the likely backup center. Moe Wagner, assuming he is re-signed, could provide some of that backup center role. 

However, if the Magic brought Bamba back in, they would have that void filled. Though, the Magic have seen this story before, and initially moving on from Bamba was beneficial to both parties involved.

For the 7-foot big man, he was able to get a change of scenery. He never put together the coveted potential he once held as a prospect, and the Magic didn't quite allow him the opportunity to grow into the player he could have been. Once they moved away from Nikola Vucevic, who Bamba was behind in the rotation early in his career, they brought in Wendell Carter Jr., their current starting center. 

The Magic are better off searching for better value in a backup center this offseason to bring in a new face with potential to fill that backup role. With Thomas Bryant available through free agency, he provides a potential target for the Magic to take a swing at, and they've got the cap space to do so. 

Overall, if the Magic went the direction of bringing back Bamba, they would be the true winners in the situation as they received a second round pick when trading him to the Lakers, and they would be able to recoup the same value in free agency. 

With potentially better guard play in the upcoming season, the backup center role for the Magic could be a fun one to play for a potential postseason team.

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