With NBA media days and training camps starting to get underway, some teams are still doing last-minute signings to fill out their training camp roster.
For the players who get signed at this point in the offseason, they’re likely getting an Exhibit 10 deal, putting them on track to play in the NBA G League. Or if they’re lucky, they will get an opportunity to compete for a spot on the 15-man roster.
This is the current scenario for former Los Angeles Lakers big man Mo Bamba, who officially signed with the Utah Jazz on Thursday. The terms of Bamba’s deal were not disclosed, but it's possible he received an Exhibit 9 or Exhibit 10 deal.
Former Lakers Big Man Mo Bamba Signs with Utah Jazz Ahead of Training Camp
The 27-year-old center‘s outlook for the 2025-26 season was not looking good, as he didn’t get any interest in NBA free agency. In fact, the only teams connected to the ex-Laker were from the EuroLeague.
The fact that Bamba didn’t take those overseas opportunities is somewhat telling. The former Laker wants to give the NBA one more shot. However, it's hard to see him cracking the Jazz’s 15-man roster, as they have Walker Kessler, Kyle Filipowski, and Jusuf Nurkic.
Then there’s also Lauri Markkanen, Oscar Tshiebwe, and Kevin Love, who can all play the four or five. Bamba has his work cut out for him to make an impression on the Jazz’s front office.
The former Laker spent last season with the Los Angeles Clippers (28 games) and New Orleans Pelicans (4 games), where he averaged 4.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks in 12.9 minutes per game.
Bamba also spent a brief time in the G League with the Pelicans’ affiliate last season, the Birmingham Squadron.
During his Lakers’ tenure, the veteran center played in nine games (one start) in the 2022-23 season. Los Angeles acquired Bamba at the trade deadline from the Orlando Magic, where he spent the first five years of his career. Bamba went from a rotation piece in Orlando to being a backend-of-the-roster big man in LA.
As a former sixth overall pick, the ex-Laker has struggled to live up to his upside coming out of the University of Texas. And based on the lack of NBA interest, it appears that Bamba’s time might be running out.