The Magic might see a familiar face in the lineup against Toronto

The Orlando Magic's 6th-overall pick in 2018 has now signed with his 6th NBA team in 3 years.

After a short hiatus from the association, former Magic center Mo Bamba is back in the NBA.

NBA Reporter Shams Charania tweeted the news, "Mo Bamba has agreed to sign a one-year deal with the Toronto Raptors, Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports and Greer Love tell ESPN.

Bamba averaged 16.5 points and 12 rebounds in G League Salt Lake City and now brings needed size to Raptors frontcourt for his eighth NBA season."

Mo Bamba has agreed to sign a one-year deal with the Toronto Raptors, Mark Bartelstein of @PrioritySports and Greer Love tell ESPN. Bamba averaged 16.5 points and 12 rebounds in G League Salt Lake City and now brings needed size to Raptors frontcourt for his eighth NBA season. pic.twitter.com/git5ZYAlna
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 29, 2025

How will Mo Bamba fit in Toronto's huge frontcourt?

Bamba looks on — Feb 1, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Orlando Magic center Mo Bamba warms up before action against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

All it takes is one team for a basketball player to finally find the right role to stick around awhile.

Mo Bamba has always had a handful of skills to his game that are ready-made for the NBA.

Bamba is a 7-footer with a clean catch-and-shoot jump shot, and that alone is a rare trait; Mo is also an instinctual shot-blocker, especially in help-side defense.

Questions about Mo Bamba's motor are fair, as his effort comes and goes, which is probably the reason he's bounced around so many spots.

Mo didn't have much opportunity in Orlando; constantly forced to play with backups due to resident big man Nikola Vucevic being given nearly all the touches on the team, making it difficult to find playing time for the young center's development as a prospect.

To that point, Orlando's young core at the time of Markelle Fultz - Aaron Gordon - Jonathan Isaac - Mo Bamba never played one minute together.

Still, players have to generally deal with the situations they end up in; these are the realities of a sports league that sends players to one of thirty cities decided by a draft.

Fast forward a few years and Bamba now finds himself in a talented frontcourt already featuring two big wing two-way stars in Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram.

In theory, the floor-spacing Mo Bamba provides is a clean fit to these two stars on offense, especially if he can round out any sort of rim-rolling and rebounding activity in his role.

While the defensive effort can be questionable at times, Mo Bamba's rim protection instincts will fit right into this Raptors team culture; while Mo is not a one-man defense on his own, he can still find impact as a plus-defender who can make smart reads within an elite team defensive scheme, especially when flanked by an elite defender in Scottie Barnes.

Bamba has a real shot to find a good role on a good team; Magic fans are rooting for his success.

When the Magic face off with the Raptors, though, there's no love lost on the hardwood.