2 ways a Mo Bamba signing could help the Cleveland Cavaliers
By Dan Gilinsky
How Bamba could help the Cavs offense
As for the offensive end of the floor, Bamba’s not nearly lived up to the hype that was surrounding him early on, but he has shown some stretch big capabilities that have been alluring. There could be some untapped potential still there, and a stretch 5, even for bench stretches, would be nice to have for Cleveland’s rotation.
Bamba has connected on 38.7 and 38.1 percent of his three-point attempts in the past two seasons, again, most of which came when he was with Orlando. In the 2021-22 campaign, he had his best season as a pro, also, and knocked on the aforementioned 38.1 percent from deep, on what was 4.0 attempts per game.
He did start in 69 of his 71 appearances in that season, which is something to keep in mind, however, the growth Bamba has demonstrated over time is what is especially appealing as a possible target.
Even if it’d be in bench lineups, Bamba has been a much-improved catch-and-shoot big, and he could feasibly be a pick-and-pop player in stretches with Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell and/or Caris LeVert, if LeVert returns.
From there, of course with his frame and being a capable athlete vertically, Bamba could function as a viable rolling and lob threat for Cleveland, too. He’s efficient at the rim, partly because of the size element, but he does have a large catch radius as well, and has good hands near there. Plus, Bamba’s a player who could be a factor on the offensive glass, too, which shouldn’t be discounted.
Now, as we alluded to earlier, Bamba is a player who has had injury issues in his career, and has played in 49, 46, 62 and 47 games in his other seasons aside from the 2021-22 campaign. Back and ankle ailments have been the culprits on a number of occasions.
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All things considered, though, Bamba is still a player who could prove to be a quality two-way player to have for Cleveland’s rotation, and with it seemingly likely he’ll be on the market, the Cavs should consider signing him. Bamba could be a solid add for some of the Cavaliers’ $12.2 million Non-taxpayer Mid-Level Exception on a two-year deal, for example.