(Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
The NBA offseason is in full swing. With trades being finalized and rumors going around, it’s safe to say that every team has something to look forward too. The Chicago Bulls have already been linked to multiple names in free agency with Mo Bamba being the most recent.
Bamba, a first-round pick in 2018, averaged 10.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game last season with the Orlando Magic. Bamba put up these numbers while only playing 25 minutes a game.
Last season is the first in which Bamba was the designated starter for the Magic. He started in 69 of the possible 82 games. In his previous 3 years combined, Bamba only started a total of 6 games.
A lot of Bamba’s early struggles were due to injuries and scheme fit. For the first 3 seasons in Orlando, current Bulls center Nikola Vucevic was the starting center. At the time, Vucevic was the best player on the Magic, earning multiple All-Star appearances.
Due to this All-Star level play in front of him, Bamba only saw around 14-16 minutes a game in the first few years in the NBA.
However, the slow start could be a positive for the Bulls. Because Bamba has only started 75 games in his NBA career, he won’t be out of the Bulls price range. It would be a lot cheaper to bring Bamba in this offseason, rather than trying to trade young assets for a more established player.
On top of being cost-efficient, Bamba perfectly fits the Bulls’ needs. Last season, they ranked 22nd in opponent points in the paint per game. The Bulls defense wasn’t great as a whole but a solid rim protector is the Bulls biggest need.
In addition to being an immediate impact on the defensive end, Bamba showed he can be a force on offense as well. Last season, he shot 38.1% from deep.
Percentage-wise, this puts him in an elite group of NBA centers. His combination of length on the defensive end and shooting on offense makes Bamba an ideal center for the Bulls.
The first thing the Bulls need to figure out is what they are going to do with Nikola Vucevic. It’s been rumored that the Bulls are shopping him this offseason. This decision could very well determine what happens with Mo Bamba.
