Could Magic Big Man Mo Bamba 'Benefit' From Trade?

Orlando Magic center Mo Bamba is averaging 7.9 points per game this season. Could he be dealt by the trade deadline?

Jeremy Brener | Jan 9, 2023

Could Magic Big Man Mo Bamba 'Benefit' From Trade? /

ORLANDO - With exactly one month away from the NBA Trade Deadline, the Orlando Magic is expected to be on many teams' speed dial.

While the Magic won't exactly be a buyer in this year's market, there are several teams who may be interested in acquiring some players from Orlando, including Mo Bamba.

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.

HoopsHype identified Bamba as a player who could benefit from a new situation at the end of this trade season.

"Mo Bamba was a player teams were hoping they could get last offseason after the Magic declined to tender him a qualifying offer," HoopsHype writes. "He surprisingly re-signed with them for two years, $20.6 million with a non-guaranteed $10.3 million salary for 2023-24. Orlando did this after coming to the conclusion that bringing him back as well as Gary Harris and Bol Bol was a better option than anyone they could’ve pursued with cap space. Bamba continues to play well but it’s possible he could thrive elsewhere. The Magic will likely listen to offers for him considering how deep their big man rotation is."

Bamba did not play in the Magic's win Saturday against the Golden State Warriors. That could be a sign that Orlando prefers to play other bigs, and if that is the case, the chances of trading Bamba by Feb. 9 increase.

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Published Jan 9, 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.