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Report: Mo Bamba signs 10-day contract with Utah Jazz

Danby: Daniel Hager02/26/26DanielHagerOn3

Former lottery pick Mo Bamba has signed a 10-day contract with the Utah Jazz, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Thursday morning. Bamba had been playing for the Salt Lake City Stars, Utah’s G-League affiliate, after spending the preseason with the Jazz.

Bamba has played eight NBA seasons across six different organizations (Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Clippers, New Orleans Pelicans, and Toronto Raptors). The Utah Jazz will be his seventh different NBA team. He previously played in two games with the Raptors earlier this season, grabbing two rebounds and blocking one shot across six minutes.

Bamba was the No. 4-ranked recruit in the Class of 2017 and committed to Texas over programs such as Duke, Kentucky, Arizona, and North Carolina. In his lone season with the Longhorns, Bamba averaged 12.9 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 3.7 blocks. He was named Second Team All-Big 12, along with earning Big 12 All-Defensive Team and Big 12 All-Newcomer Team honors. This led to Bamba being selected with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic.

Prior to being selected in the Draft, ESPN’s Seth Greenberg labeled Bamba as a hybrid between Anthony Davis and Joel Embiid. It’s safe to say expectations were high for the New York City native. He, however, never quite reached the level that was expected of him in the NBA.

Mo Bamba had been with Utah Jazz G-League affiliate, Salt Lake City Stars

Bamba’s best career season in the NBA came in 2021-22 with the Magic. That season, he started in 69 games and averaged career-highs with 10.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks. It marked the only season of his career in which he played in at least 70 games, and started in more than 20 games.

He now joins an Utah Jazz team that boasts an 18-40 record on the season, good for sixth-worst in the NBA. With the Jazz tanking for the remainder of the season (they were fined $500,000 earlier this month by the NBA), there’s a real chance Bamba could find a role in Utah’s rotation.

In 10 games with the Salt Lake City Stars, Bamba averaged 16.2 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks. He has shown that he can still be a contributor on an NBA team, and this could certainly be his chance to shine on one of the worst teams in the Association. The Jazz hit the court next Thursday night against the New Orleans Pelicans.