After a pre-deadline deal brought Mo Bamba to L.A. for Patrick Beverley, who joined the Lakers this offseason in a swap for Talen Horton-Tucker, hopes were high for the Harlem native with a 7’10 wingspan and solid shooting stroke to step in as the team’s sorely needed second big.
Instead, Bamba made it into just his seventh game with the team before suffering a high-ankle sprain that derailed the remainder of his season and postseason. In total, Bamba spent just 88 minutes on the floor for the Lakers (74 outside of garbage time), which was fewer than Matt Ryan, Damian Jones, Juan Toscano-Anderson, and 16 other players this season.