Mo Bamba entered the 2022 offseason a restricted free agent, and was one of the more interesting guys on the market. The No. 6 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft played the best basketball of his young career during the 2021-22 campaign for the Orlando Magic, and this summer, the 24-year-old big man hit free agency.
Whether the Magic opted to keep him around or another team decided to scoop him up, Bamba looked primed to build on what he did last year and take another step towards his considerable potential. After the Magic declined to extend the qualifying offer to Bamba, there were rumblings he might have interest from other teams on the unrestricted market, but it seems that was simply the Magic clearing the way for them to make a deal with the young center as soon as free agency opened, re-signing him on a two-year, $21 million deal.
Free agent center Mo Bamba has reached an agreement with the Orlando Magic on a two-year, $21 million deal, his agents Mark Bartelstein and Greer Love of @PrioritySports tell @YahooSports. https://t.co/Vs09sDBcOl
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) June 30, 2022
After injuries and a particularly nasty bout with COVID impacted Bamba his first three seasons, the former Texas Longhorn played more than ever during the 2021-22 campaign and saw himself put up a career year. Bamba appeared in 71 games for the Magic with 69 of them coming as a member of the starting lineup. He averaged 10.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks in 25.7 minutes per game while hitting 38.1 percent of his attempts from behind the three-point line.