Orlando center Mo Bamba enters unrestricted free agency starting late Thursday. The No. 6 overall pick from the 2018 NBA draft never quite found his footing with the Magic, despite having the opportunity to start 69 games while averaging 25.7 minutes per game last season.
Bamba averaged 10.6 points and 8.1 rebounds with a 38.1% from the 3-point arc, impressive for a big man, during his first season as a full-time starter. His defensive prowess also showed with 1.7 blocks per game while making life difficult in the paint for opponents. Now, the market seems primed to give him the potential opportunity for an expanded role.
The Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, and the Toronto Raptors are noted to be interested amongst multiple teams going into Thursday. Another interested party? The Houston Rockets.
Per Kelly Iko of The Athletic, the Rockets may be interested in bringing the University of Texas product back to the Lone Star State.
Despite their commitment this offseason to establishing second-year center Alperen Sengun as the starter, having shipped incumcent Christian Wood off to the Dallas Mavericks in the process, the Rockets have been linked to multiple centers in the upcoming free agency period.
At a glance, signing Bamba could be excellent value. He would bring a 3-point shooting and defensive presence that other big men on the roster currently can’t offer. It’s also possible that, in a new situation with new coaching, Bamba could benefit from a change of scenery.
This new skillset could open up opportunities for head coach Stephen Silas to employ diverse lineups featuring Bamba outside the 3-point arc as a floor-spacing shooter — while also clogging the lane, as needed.
However, digging into the nuances of Houston’s backup center role, this proposition becomes a bit more interesting on every level. The first question goes towards the team’s interest, itself. Is it warranted?
Last season, the Rockets drafted Usman Garuba at No. 23 overall in the 2021 NBA draft. The selection was made around the premise that Garuba could become a defensive showstopper. His strong athleticism and a somewhat limited offensive game have led many to project him as a Robert Williams-esque center. Signing anyone in free agency would almost certainly deter the development of Garuba and make it more difficult for Houston to develop a project they were once quite keen on.
Even if Houston still wants more option beyond Sengun and Garuba, another question remains: Is Mo Bamba the best fit in free agency?
The Rockets have also been linked to Brooklyn center Nic Claxton, with speculation that Houston could perhaps lure the center by using their full non-taxpayer mid-level exception (NT-MLE), which means a starting salary in the range of $10.5 million annually. Claxton has flashed talent in Brooklyn, and many around the league think he could excel in an expanded role away from Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.
Houston is also said to be interested in Clippers center Isaiah Hartenstein. Hartenstein played for the Rockets from 2018 through 2020.
These players lack the shooting ability and the high upside of Bamba, but could they be smoother fits in smaller roles next to Jalen Green and Jabari Smith. Silas will be designing the offense around those two in conjunction with Sengun, and he needs surrounding pieces that fit.
Brooklyn is unlikely to match an MLE offer ($10.3M) for Nic Claxton per @Jonathan_Feigen. This goes against several reports saying Nets would match such an offer.
Letting Clax go would be a mistake. He’s an asset whether on the court or as a trade piece later this season.
— Erik Slater (@erikslaterNR) June 19, 2022
Finally, one has to wonder if Bamba even wants to join the Rockets.
Houston, among many other teams, will be offering him a backup position. While it is certainly possible that Bamba could eventually play his way into the starting lineup with his talent, all signs point to Sengun being given every chance to shine as the team’s franchise center.
In addition to a likely bench role, Bamba would likely be headed to another losing season, in this scenario. The Rockets are projected to go through more growing pains next season (2022-23) on their way to one last high-draft pick before attempting to compete. Is Bamba willing to take a role on another losing team for a limited minutes opportunity — just to watch them potentially select a center atop the lottery next year? Another undesirable outcome, if he played well, would be if the rebuilding Rockets traded Bamba without his consent for future draft capital.
This could be a difficult sell if the Lakers and LeBron James are offering Bamba the opportunity to start and try to compete for the playoffs.
Ultimately, with the state the Rockets are in, signing Bamba would make some sense. His talent and unique skills, assuming his willingness to come to Houston, could only add to the list of possibilities for a team that is seeking to find its identity in the 2022-23 season.
No free agent signing is likely to transform the franchise. Moreover, as we saw last year with Daniel Theis, trades can allow for teams to quickly bail on experiments that don’t work. This team will move as Green and Smith do and, in the meantime, it can’t hurt to take chances on talent.
While the Rockets are currently positioned to have major salary cap room in 2023, there’s not much harm in spending a small portion a year early, if the right player is willing to sign. After all, adding talented pieces to Houston’s young core is the primary goal. If something comes along in the 2022 offseason that meets that objective, it would be silly to rule it out — especially if the contract is at a reasonable enough value to where that cap space could be regained with a later trade, as we saw with Theis.
Houston is in a position to swing big. Bamba might be just that.
