3 Lakers the team may have to cut ties with because of the new CBA

1. Mo Bamba

Another addition at the NBA trade deadline, Mo Bamba seemed like he would be a great fit in Los Angeles. On paper, he was a discount version of Myles Turner that could help Anthony Davis defend near the rim while providing floor-spacing on the offensive end.

On paper, the best type of big to put next to Anthony Davis is one that allows him to operate as a center on offense and as a power forward on defense. In theory, Bamba was the perfect type of player to make this happen.

Then Bamba joined the rotation and he never actually shared the floor with Davis. Darvin Ham didn’t seem to fully buy into Bamba yet despite him having strong games (when Davis did not play). Unfortnuately, that plane could never even get off the runway as Bamba sprained his ankle and has been out since.

Bamba could be medically cleared by the time the NBA Playoffs roll around but things have been working well in his absence so we likely won’t see Ham force Bamba into the rotation. If that is the case, Bamba will have just seven games played for the purple and gold this season.

His $10.3 million salary next season is fully non-guaranteed. Without having the chance to leave an impression, and the center market being relatively cheap, it is hard to blame the Lakers for potentially cutting ties with Bamba.