ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania was the first to break the news on the evening of December 28, posting on X that the Toronto Raptors had agreed to sign former lottery pick Mo Bamba to a one-year deal.
Mo Bamba joins the Toronto Raptors family
The Raptors organization would subsequently confirm the signing on December 29. However, as stated in the official press release: "Per team policy, the financial terms of the deal were not disclosed."
The now 27-year-old Bamba entered the league as a highly touted prospect out of Texas heading into the 2018 NBA Draft, where scouts were captivated by his tremendous size, standing 7 feet tall and boasting a disruptive 7-foot-10 wingspan. Due to this intrigue, Bamba was selected early in the lottery, going sixth overall to the Orlando Magic. He spent five seasons with the Magic before bouncing around the league as a bit of a journeyman, with stints for the two Los Angeles squads, the 76ers, and a 10-day stint with the Pelicans.
Bamba's career averages in a total of 364 NBA appearances to date are as follows: 6.8 points on 47.7 percent field goal shooting, 35.6 percent from beyond the arc, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks.
Bamba joined the Utah Jazz organization as a training camp hopeful, but he did make the main roster. He was waived before the start of the 2025-26 season and has instead spent time with their G League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars.
Down there in the G League, Bamba has served in an effective capacity, with averages of 16.5 points, 12.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 2.9 blocks, and 28.7 minutes in 14 games, 11 of them in starting roles. The efficiency hasn't been an issue either, as Bamba's shooting averages with the Salt Lake City Stars look like 53.4 percent from the field and 37.7 percent from deep. Of course, Bamba was part of the Stars squad that toppled the blazing Raptors 905 in the 2025 G League Winter Showcase, where he contributed 17 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists in that game.
It's no secret how much the Raptors have a glaring need for some imposing size and depth at the center position, with an uncertain Jakob Poeltl in their midst, and Mo Bamba certainly fits the bill. I had just written about how the Raptors could potentially find their answer to this question in another top 2018 pick, Marvin Bagley III, but I could recall prior buzz circulating about Toronto's potential interest in Bamba via Raptors insider Michael Grange, and now that rumor has come to fruition.
I'm excited to see what Bamba can do with his sixth NBA team, on a squad that definitely needs to explore where he can be utilized best and fit alongside the topsy-turvy but very talented roster. He certainly isn't the only answer Toronto should settle for at the center position. I'd reckon he's going to be a great backup or third-string big in the rotation (not to mention, a crowd favorite), but if Poeltl isn't going to be a sure thing for most of the season, then the endless options in the trade rumor mill are still worth exploring.