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Mo Bamba will not be returning to the Los Angeles Lakers, with the former first-round pick agreeing to a deal with the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday.
The Lakers had an interest in bringing Bamba back after waiving him prior to free agency. However, Bamba wanted some new scenery, hoping to find a place in the Sixers’ rotation behind defending MVP Joel Embiid. His deal with Philadelphia is a one-year minimum contract.
Bamba was due $10.3 million on a non-guaranteed contract prior to the Lakers waiving him.
Bamba landed in Los Angeles last season in a trade that sent veteran guard Patrick Beverley to the Orlando Magic. There were high hopes for the 7-footer and his unique skill set but he never got a chance to contribute. He played in just nine regular season games before an ankle injury derailed his time in purple and gold. Bamba returned in the postseason but was not a factor, playing just a handful of minutes.
Veteran Tristan Thompson was listed along with Bamba as potential players the Lakers could bring back as they search for big-man depth, per by Jovan Buha of The Athletic.
“L.A. is targeting another big man with its 14th roster spot,” Buha reported. “They are likely to carry 14 guaranteed contracts into the season, leaving one roster spot open. Mo Bamba, whom the Lakers waived on Thursday, and Tristan Thompson, who joined the team right before their playoff run, remain options to fill that 14th spot, according to league sources. The big man market has been dry so far during this free-agency period, so the Lakers could also wait to see if better options present themselves.”
Lakers View Jaxson Hayes as Physical Option at Center
Sources confirm the Lakers and center Jaxson Hayes have agreed to 2 year deal. Lakers view Hayes as physical center like they had in Dwight Howard in 2020.
The Lakers did add some depth to their center rotation with former lottery pick Jaxson Hayes. He hasn’t lived up to his billing as the No. 8 pick in the 2019 draft but Hayes comes with some clear upside.
The 6-foot-11 Hayes averaged 7.5 points and 4 rebounds in 16.8 minutes per game during his time with the New Orleans Pelicans. Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times reported that the “Lakers view Hayes as physical center like they had in Dwight Howard in 2020.”
Howard gave the Lakers some flexibility with Anthony Davis. He was able to take on some key assignments defensively during the Lakers’ title run, allowing Davis to play in his preferred power forward spot.
Lakers Need to Plan for Anthony Davis’ Durability Issues
When he’s healthy, Davis can be one of the most dominant players in the league. The problem has been his health, with injuries taking him off the court. Davis has never played a full 82-game season and has missed chunks of time in the last two with various issues.
Davis missed 26 games last season, most of those due to a stress fracture in his foot. The Lakers have to posses some quality depth behind Davis to combat him missing any time and Hayes is probably not someone they want to rely on too heavily if that situation arises.
Some options the Lakers could consider are Thompson, Bol Bol and Bismack Biyombo. Christian Wood is also available but would likely be out of the Lakers’ price range.
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Lakers Lose Former 1st-Round Big Man to Eastern Conference Foe