Mo Bamba is signing a one-year deal with the Raptors, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).
This move comes on the precipice of Toronto getting an update on the health status of starting center Jakob Poeltl, according to Blake Murphy of Sportsnet (Twitter link). Murphy reports (via Twitter) that the deal is non-guaranteed.
Keith Smith of Spotrac notes (via Twitter) that this move puts Toronto $475K over the first apron and about $2.1M over the tax line, but adds that he doesn’t expect the team to operate in the tax by the end of the season, making them a clear candidate for further moves.
With Poeltl in-and-out of the rotation due to injury, the Raptors have relied on Sandro Mamukelashvili for frontcourt depth, but Bamba gives them a different look due to his length and shot-blocking ability.
Bamba started his career with the Magic, playing 4.5 seasons in Orlando after being drafted 6th overall in 2018. He holds career averages of 6.8 points and 5.4 rebounds over his seven-year career.
The 27-year-old center played 14 games for this year’s Salt Lake City Stars G League team, averaging 16.5 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks.