JULY 3: Bamba has officially signed with the Clippers, according to the transaction log at NBA.com.
JULY 1: The Clippers and free agent center Mohamed Bamba have reached an agreement on a one-year deal, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
It’ll be worth the veteran’s minimum, tweets Law Murray of The Athletic. That’ll work out to a $2.61MM salary for Bamba and a $2.09MM cap hit for the team.
Bamba, the sixth overall pick in the 2018 draft, spent his first five-and-a-half seasons in Orlando before being traded to the Lakers at the 2023 deadline. After finishing that season in Los Angeles, he signed with the 76ers last summer and averaged 4.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 13.0 minutes per game across 57 appearances (17 starts) for Philadelphia. He’s a career 36.1% three-pointer shooter on 2.3 attempts per game.
Ivica Zubac is the Clippers’ starting center, but both of the team’s backups at the five – Mason Plumlee and Daniel Theis – entered free agency this weekend. While Theis remains unsigned, Plumlee has committed to join the division-rival Suns, so L.A. had been in the market for at least one big man.
Outside of the 2021/22 season, when he started 69 games in the middle for Orlando, Bamba has primarily played a modest reserve role across his six years in the NBA, with a career average of 17.2 minutes per contest.
The Clippers have been busy during the first couple days of free agency, reaching contract agreements with James Harden (two years, $70MM), Derrick Jones (three years, $30MM), Nicolas Batum (two years, $9.6MM), Kevin Porter Jr. (two years, minimum salary), and Kris Dunn (terms unknown). They’re also reportedly scouring the market for a possible Russell Westbrook trade and, of course, saw Paul George depart for Philadelphia.
PG is out, but the vibes and music stations are up.
Music is up and show is down
Music is up and tickets sale is down
Terrible management
Ticket sales are down? In the off season before tickets go on sale? Where did this store-brand bot come from?
I changed my mind Clips definitely winning it all
Extremely good fit, and man are they versatile, and super lengthy
I have always felt. Mo can be like Mitch. It’s getting late. I hope he finds that in LA.
Outlook
This is my message to Clippers, Lakers and Warriors.
If you can’t make playoffs, you are losers. Plain and simple.
Watch out
Kings and Grizzlies will be back to playoffs
Miami made the finals as a playin team and the Lakers made the conference finals so as long as you get in you’ve got a chance.
… and if you don’t even attempt to throw the runner out at home on a sac fly in the bottom of the 9th, you’ve got no chance