Bamba was diagnosed Thursday with a left high-ankle sprain and will be re-evaluated in approximately four weeks, Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet reports.
Bamba's injury will almost certainly sideline him for the remainder of the regular season, as he'll likely require some ramp-up time to get himself ready for game action even if he's cleared to resume basketball activities at the end of the four-week period. Since arriving in Los Angeles in a trade-deadline deal with the Magic, Bamba had been an inconsistent member of head coach Darvin Ham's rotation. With Bamba now out for the foreseeable future, Wenyen Gabriel will have a clearer path to serving as the unquestioned top backup to Anthony Davis.
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Lakers' Mo Bamba: Ruled out Tuesday
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Bamba (ankle) is out for Tuesday's matchup against the Grizzlies, Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register reports.
After exiting Saturday's contest early due to an ankle sprain, Bamba will officially be sidelined Tuesday. The likes of Wenyen Gabriel and Rui Hachimura emerge as candidates to receive more usage with Bamba out of the lineup. The Texas product's next chance to return to the floor comes Friday against the Raptors.
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Lakers' Mo Bamba: Sprains ankle Sunday
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Bamba won't return to Sunday's game against the Warriors due to a left ankle sprain, Kendra Andrews of ESPN.com reports.
Bamba will finish the game with two rebounds and no other statistics over two minutes, and for now, he should be considered questionable for Tuesday's game against the Grizzlies. If Bamba needs to miss time, Wenyen Gabriel would likely step in as the backup center behind starter Anthony Davis.
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Lakers' Mo Bamba: Draws first start with Lakers
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Bamba will join the first unit for Wednesday's game against the Thunder, Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet reports.
Bamba had seen just seven total minutes across his last two games but will step into the starting lineup with Anthony Davis (foot) out. In his only other two appearances with the Lakers, Bamba averaged 7.0 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks across 19.0 minutes. The fantasy-point-per-minute monster should have plenty of opportunities to contribute Wednesday with D'Angelo Russell (ankle) and LeBron James (foot) also sidelined.
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Lakers' Mo Bamba: Records double-double Thursday
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Bamba supplied 10 points (2-5 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 4-6 FT), 13 rebounds and one assist over 22 minutes during Thursday's 124-111 win over Golden State.
Playing in just his second game as a Laker, Bamba put up one of his better performances of the season, notching his second double-double (and his first since mid-November). The big man did so by tying his season-high mark with 13 rebounds, and he just managed to hit double-figure scoring thanks to a pair of three-pointers and four free-throws. The blowout nature of Los Angeles' victory allowed Bamba to play nearly as many minutes (22) as Anthony Davis (26), so there's no reason for fantasy managers to rush to grab Bamba off the waiver wire at this point.
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Lakers' Mo Bamba: Secures six rebounds in return
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Bamba amassed four points (2-7 FG, 0-5 3Pt, 0-2 FT), six rebounds, three blocks and one assist across 16 minutes before fouling out of Wednesday's 120-102 victory over the Pelicans.
Bamba returned from a four-game suspension to make his Lakers debut Wednesday. He slotted in as the top backup to starting center Anthony Davis and wasn't particularly efficient during his time on the court, but he still tied for the second-highest rebound total on the team while also pacing the Lakers in blocks. Since he had been behind Wendell Carter and Moritz Wagner on the depth chart at center in Orlando, Bamba's rest-of-season outlook has improved with the move to the Lakers, but he'll still profile as little more than a deep-league option so long as Davis is available.
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Lakers' Mo Bamba: Headed to Lakers
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The Lakers acquired Bamba (suspension) from the Magic on Thursday in exchange for Patrick Beverley, a second-round pick and cash, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.
Bamba averaged 7.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.0 blocks in 17.0 minutes across 40 games for the Magic this season. With the move to Los Angeles, he'll likely slot in as the primary backup to starting center Anthony Davis, though he may have to fend off Wenyen Gabriel and Jarred Vanderbilt for those duties. Prior to the trade, Bamba served the first two games of the four-game suspension he received for his on-court altercation with the Timberwolves' Austin Rivers on Feb. 3. He'll thus sit out the Lakers' games Thursday against Milwaukee and Saturday at Golden State before he's eligible to debut with his new team Feb. 13 in Portland.
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Magic's Mo Bamba: Hit with four-game ban
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The NBA announced Saturday that Bamba has received a four-game suspension without pay for his role in an on-court altercation that occurred in Friday's 127-120 win over the Timberwolves.
After being left out of head coach Jamahl Mosley's rotation in Wednesday's loss to the 76ers, Bamba entered the starting five Friday while top center Wendell Carter (foot) was sidelined. Bamba put up 11 points (4-9 FG, 3-7 3Pt), four rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block in 21 minutes before he was ejected late in the third quarter, when he came off the bench and threw punches at Minnesota's Austin Rivers. Rivers also returned with punches and drew a three-game suspension for his actions, while Magic teammate Jalen Suggs was handed a one-game ban for "escalating the altercation," according to the NBA's statement. Provided Carter's injury isn't a long-term concern, Bamba might have find himself right back outside of the rotation Sunday in Charlotte, so his upcoming four-game absence may not affect how Mosley divvies up the minutes among his frontcourt options. Bamba will be eligible to return to action Feb. 13 in Chicago.
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Magic's Mo Bamba: Ejected against Minnesota
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Bamba was ejected Friday versus the Timberwolves on Friday after an altercation with Austin Rivers.
Bamba and Rivers were exchanging words, and punches were later thrown as Rivers approached the Magic bench. In addition to those two players, Jalen Suggs, Jaden McDaniels and Taurean Prince were also ejected.
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Magic's Mo Bamba: Starting Friday
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Bamba will start Friday's game against the Timberwolves, Khobi Price of the Orlando Sentinel reports.
With Wendell Carter (foot) out, Bamba will start for the first time since Nov. 27 and for the sixth time this season. In his previous five starts, Bamba has averaged 10.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 26.8 minutes per game.
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Magic's Mo Bamba: Re-enters rotation Monday
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Bamba notched two points (0-4 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 2-2 FT) and two blocks across 10 minutes during Monday's 136-111 loss to the Kings.
Bamba was back in the rotation Monday, albeit in garbage time. The return of Wendell Carter from injury has sealed Bamba's fate, as he's been a mere afterthought for the past three games. There is no reason for him to be rostered outside of the deepest leagues, with his only path to minutes being via injuries to other players.
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Magic's Mo Bamba: Suspended for Friday's game
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Bamba will miss Friday's game against Washington after being handed a one-game suspension for his role in Wednesday's altercation with the Pistons.
Bamba will be suspended Friday alongside Wendell Carter and Moritz Wagner, meaning Bol Bol, Paolo Banchero and Caleb Houstan will handle most of the frontcourt work for the contest. Bamba, however, will be able to return for Wednesday's matchup with Oklahoma City while Wagner will remain out, so he could be in line for a larger bench role.
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Magic's Mo Bamba: Deemed questionable Friday
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Bamba is listed as questionable for Friday's game versus the Wizards due to back pain.
Bamba has provided consistent rim protection off the bench for Orlando recently, averaging 4.8 rebounds and 2.0 blocks over 18.8 minutes in the last four games. Unfortunately, a back issue could prevent him from resuming that role Friday. Moritz Wagner (illness) is also questionable, and Wendell Carter isn't quite up to speed following his lengthy absence, so the Magic could be scrambling for frontcourt help Friday.
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Magic's Mo Bamba: Limited to 19 minutes in loss
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Bamba had 11 points (4-6 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 1-2 FT), four rebounds, two assists and one steal across 18 minutes during Monday's 126-125 loss to the Hawks.
Bamba played fewer than 20 minutes for the third time in his past four games, ceding minutes to Moritz Wagner, who has been thriving as the starting center. It is quite clear the Magic don't want to utilize Bamba any more than necessary, meaning he should be viewed as nothing more than a stream option outside of deeper formats.
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Magic's Mo Bamba: Perfect shooting Sunday
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Bamba totaled 18 points (6-6 FG, 2-2 3Pt, 4-5 FT), nine rebounds, one assist and two blocks over 23 minutes during Sunday's 111-99 win over the Raptors.
Bamba came off the bench and produced one of his best games of the year Sunday. He was particularly effective in the second quarter and collected 12 points and five rebounds in the period. It was his first time playing more than 17 minutes in a game since Nov. 25 as he's been limited due to a back issue of late.
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Magic's Mo Bamba: Plays behind Wagner in return
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Bamba (back) played 17 minutes off the bench and finished with eight points (3-6 FG, 2-3 3Pt), four rebounds, one assist and one block in Wednesday's 116-111 win over the Clippers.
Though Bamba beat Wendell Carter (foot) back from injury, Bamba still found himself as the second option at center behind Moritz Wagner, who turned in his second straight double-double while playing out of the starting five. Given how he's performed since returning in late November in his own extended absence due to injury, Wagner looks poised to stick ahead of Bamba on the depth chart for the time being. Bamba could find himself on the outside of the Magic rotation when Carter returns.
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Magic's Mo Bamba: Not listed on injury report
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Bamba (back) isn't listed on the injury report for Wednesday's game against the Clippers, Khobi Price of the Orlando Sentinel reports.
Bamba returned to practice Tuesday and appears in line to suit up Wednesday, which would end a string of six straight absences due to back spams. His return may push Moritz Wagner or Bol Bol to the bench, but all three big men should see sizable roles with Wendell Carter (foot) and Chuma Okeke (knee) still sidelined.
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Magic's Mo Bamba: Participates in practice
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Bamba (back) took part in practice Tuesday, Dan Savage of the Magic's official site reports.
Bamba has skipped five straight games while tending to a back issue but appears to have a chance to rejoin the action Wednesday. If available, Bamba could be in line for a bit more run than usual with Wendell Carter (foot) out, though Moritz Wagner is coming off of a double-double against the Bucks and should factor in as well.
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Magic's Mo Bamba: Ruled out
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Bamba (back) has been ruled out for Monday's matchup against the Bucks, Khobi Price of the Orlando Sentinel reports.
Bamba is slated to miss his fifth straight game due to back spasms. His next chance to suit up will come Wednesday against the Clippers. Wendell Carter (foot) and Chuma Okeke (knee) also remain out, so Moritz Wagner and Bol Bol are candidates for sizable roles once again.
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Magic's Mo Bamba: Questionable Monday
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Bamba (back) is questionable for Monday's game against the Bucks.
Bamba has missed four straight games with back pain but could make his return to the court Monday. The 24-year-old was ruled out straightaway for each of the previous four contests, so the fact he's questionable to face Milwaukee indicates he's progressing toward his return.
