Getty Mo Bamba guards Josh Green
The Los Angeles Lakers announced on March 9 that Mo Bamba suffered a high left ankle sprain against the Golden State Warriors on March 5. The team said the Texas product would be re-evaluated in approximately four weeks.
The purple and gold have four games left in the regular season and it’s possible Bamba could be back by the end of this week, according to The Athletic’s Jovan Buha.
On the latest episode of LNLS with @jovanbuha provides a positive Mo Bamba Injury Update:
“Mo [Bamba] is supposed to be reevaluated this week. I would not be surprised if he’s back by the end of the week.” #LakeShow
The Lakers acquired Bamba from the Orlando Magic at the trade deadline for Patrick Beverley. The 24-year-old is averaging 4.4 points and 5.3 rebounds in seven games with Los Angeles while shooting 41.7% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc.
Bamba signed a two-year, $20.6 million contract with the Magic in July 2022. His salary for next season of $10.3 million is non-guaranteed. It becomes fully guaranteed on July 29.
Wenyen Gabriel Has Been Solid for the Lakers
Wenyen Gabriel is averaging 4.5 points and 5.2 rebounds over his last 13 games since Bamba has been out. The Kentucky product plays with a lot of energy and is always crashing the boards.
Once Bamba returns, Lakers head coach Darvin Ham will have to decide who he wants to play behind Anthony Davis. If it was up to Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report, though, Bamba wouldn’t even be in Los Angeles past this season.
In a March 30 article called “Hypothetical Lakers Trades to Boost Pursuit of 2024 NBA Title,” Buckley proposed that the Lakers trade Bamba and three second-round picks to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Kenrich Williams and Tre Mann.
“The Lakers have often run top-heavy during the James-Davis era,” Buckley wrote. “While swinging big for a star is exciting, they’d help themselves by giving more attention to their second unit. Oklahoma City could help beef up the bench—if it wanted three more second-round picks and Mo Bamba, an insurance policy for Chet Holmgren. That doesn’t sound impossible. If the Thunder bite, the Lakers should be all over this. Kenrich Williams is an all-purpose stopper who has shot better than 38 percent from three since the start of 2020-21. He can play alongside anyone, meaning he could help lead the bench or even support the stars as part of the closing group. Tre Mann is a spark plug who has impressed with volume but needs a bump in efficiency. Maybe playing off gravitational forces like James and Davis could make that happen.”
LeBron James: ‘These Last Four Games Are Very Important for Our Team’
After the Lakers defeated the Houston Rockets on April 2, LeBron James said “these last four games are very important for our team.” The LakeShow are in seventh place in the Western Conference.
“These last four games are very important for our team,” James said. “Not only in wins and losses, but in the chemistry side of it as well. We got to continue to build what we’ve been building over the last month or so. So we’ll see what happens.”
The Lakers, who are 40-38, face the Utah Jazz (twice), Los Angeles Clippers and Phoenix Suns to close out the regular season.