Magic Land Top Pick; Mo Bamba Future in Jeopardy?
With the Orlando Magic landing the first overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, the team is likely going to select either Duke's Paolo Banchero, Auburn's Jabari Smith or Gonzaga's Chet Holmgren.
All three of those players are big men, and with Wendell Carter Jr. recently signing a contract extension, there is now doubt shadowing over Mo Bamba's future with the team.
Bamba, the No. 6 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, has had an up-and-down tenure with the team and faces restricted free agency this offseason.
However, Bamba is coming off a career-best season going into restricted free agency. The Texas product averaged 10.6 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.7 blocks, while shooting 48 percent from the field and 38.1 percent on 3s in 25.7 minutes per game.
He's an intriguing option, but not as much as any of the top three prospects in this year's draft, especially when you consider the fact that the Magic will have close to $29 million in cap space if Bamba isn't handed a $10.1 million qualifying offer.
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The Magic will likely have to choose which player it feels is a good match next to Carter, who averaged 15 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists in his first full season with in Orlando.
Bamba should receive considerable interest from teams looking to add some size in the frontcourt and the Magic should listen to some sign-and-trade scenarios.
When you stack up all the reasons against him, it's very possible that the Magic landing the top overall pick has been the nail in Bamba's coffin in Orlando.
