If the Los Angeles Lakers want to get back to the blueprint that saw them lift the 2020 NBA championship, then they might want to consider pairing Anthony Davis with another big man, allowing the superstar forward to slide into his favored position of power forward.
According to Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus, one player that could be available via trade, who the Lakers could potentially hold interest in, is Mo Bamba, a seven-foot rim-runner with a reliable outside jump shot.
“Bamba (who can’t be dealt until mid-January) is on a two-year $20.6 million contract, but the second season is non-guaranteed. Orlando would like a first but may be looking for younger players who can grow with its young team longer term…The Los Angeles Clippers, Lakers, Kings and Raptors may have interest, among others,” Pincus wrote.
I’m anticipating that with my Wednesday article on trade season, that my mentions will overload — so if I miss your legit question, reach back out in a couple of days
Bamba has participated in 23 games for the Orlando Magic so far this season, providing them with 8.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 0.9 blocks per game while shooting 38.8% from deep and 60.8% from two-point range.
Why Would the Lakers Make This Trade?
Bamba, 24, is still in the infancy of his NBA career but has shown an ability to both protect the rim and stretch the floor on the offensive end, while his motor ensures he has the potential to be a viable rim-runner for the foreseeable future.
Furthermore, last season was the only time Bamba has been given the opportunity to play alongside a team’s starting unit, to which he responded by shooting 38.8% from deep on four attempts per game and blocking shots at a career-high rate of 1.7 per contest.
Mo Bamba puts a lid on the rim
-> Franz forces a timeout with the transition triple
Theoretically, if you could pair Bamba with an elite big man like Davis, you could limit the young center’s weaknesses while allowing him to develop on a contending team around some of the best players in the world. Of course, the Lakers would first need to find a way to acquire Bamba from the Magic, and given their limited trade assets, that could prove to be a stumbling block.
Anthony Davis Prefers to Play Power Forward
On November 9, during a post-game press conference, Davis discussed why he prefers playing as a power forward and how his sharing the floor with a second big man helped the Lakers win a championship during the 2020 NBA season.
AD is taking a direct shot at Rob Pelinka & Jeanie buss to get him some reliable big men. He’s never liked playing the 5, and plays better at the 4.
“I was able to roam a lot, I was playing the four then, JaVale (McGee) was playing the five, and Dwight (Howard) was playing the five. You know, guarding the perimeter and I got those guys behind me, or weakside helps, we were getting blocks from the weak side. Now, when I’m the five, I’m the one in the actions, pick-and-rolls, the one guarding the post – things like that…In 19-20, I was a roamer, when I can be on whoever the forward is and roam around and help protect everyone, it’s tough for me to do that when I’m guarding the five,” Davis said.
Davis has been performing at an MVP level this season, so while his preference is to play as the four, it’s clear that his impact has not been diminished when playing as the Lakers’ center. Still, if Bamba is available for trade, and Darvin Ham believes he could help put Davis in an even stronger position to dominate, then the Lakers should do everything in their power to acquire the fourth-year big man from the Magic.
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Lakers ‘Could’ Hold Interest in 7-Foot 35.6% Sharpshooting Big Via Trade