NBA Free Agency: Should The Magic Re-Sign Mo Bamba?
Following the best season of his four-year career, Mo Bamba is due for a payday.
The 2018 sixth overall pick is coming off a season where he started 69 games and posted averages of 10.6 points, 8 rebounds to go with 1.7 blocks.
Which is one reason why the Magic need to do everything in their power to resign him.
While the front office focus is on who they will be selecting first overall on June 23rd, once the draft concludes the focus needs to shift to locking in Bamba long-term.
Still just 24 years old, Bamba has gotten better in every aspect since his rookie year, with last season being his best in every statistical category.
And he will continue to get better if he is suiting up for the Magic again next season.
Last season, the first under head coach Jamahl Mosley, he was given a longer leash than previously in his career to take chances and make mistakes on the court.
This leash paid dividends, not only did his minutes increase but also his confidence, shooting 38 percent from three on four attempts per game.
Bamba has gone on the record to say he wants to stay in Orlando and is bought in to what the franchise is building.
So the two things it will ultimately come down to is money and role.
The Magic’s roughly $30 million in cap space leaves the ball in their court to pay Bamba believes he’s worth.
While the front office knows how valuable Bamba could be to getting out of the depths of the Eastern Conference and being an actual competitive team, they also know he is not worth all the cap space they possess.
Regardless of who they select first overall, there is a good chance Bamba’s role for next season shifts to backup center, but with how bought in Bamba appears that should not be a deciding factor in if he resigns.
With most of their young core still locked into their rookie contracts, the Magic’s focus should be to re-sign Bamba once free agency begins on July 1st.
