NBA Trade Rumors: Magic's Mo Bamba Taking His Talents to South Beach, Play for Miami Heat?

The Orlando Magic and Miami Heat could be ideal partners for an inter-divisional trade involving Mo Bamba.

Jeremy Brener | Jan 15, 2023

NBA Trade Rumors: Magic's Mo Bamba Taking His Talents to South Beach, Play for Miami Heat? /

With trade rumors in full swing, the Orlando Magic finds itself in a tricky position.

While wanting to keep the young core together, there are a few players who could warrant being traded, and arguably the player most popular in rumors is Mo Bamba.

According to Bleacher Report, Mo Bamba would be one of the players that would make the most sense for the Miami Heat to acquire.

"While Miami has been bitten by injuries all season, simply counting on a healthy roster to make a run to the Finals isn't enough, not in this improved East," Bleacher Report writes. "The Heat should think big at first, looking for power forwards who can stretch the floor alongside Bam Adebayo and give this 24th-ranked offense a little more juice."

Bamba, 24, is averaging 7.9 points per game this season and is on a very tradeable contract, making only $10.3 million this year. He could make up to the same amount next season, but it is non-guaranteed.

While inter-division trades are rare, Bamba provides exactly the type of skillset that would work well next to Adebayo in the frontcourt while also not breaking the bank.

As much as the Magic would love a first-round pick for Bamba at the deadline, it doesn't appear likely, but the Heat has enticing pieces like Caleb Martin or Omer Yurtseven who could come up to Orlando in a return package.

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Published Jan 15, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.