Orlando Magic Trade Mo Bamba to Los Angeles Lakers for Patrick Beverley and 2024 Second Round Pick

ORLANDO, FLA- As stated by Senior Lead NBA Insider Shams Charania, the Orlando Magic (22-33, 13th in East) have officially traded center Mo Bamba to the Los Angeles Lakers (25-30, 13th in West) in exchange for veteran guard Patrick Beverley, cash considerations, and a 2024 second-round pick (Via Denver) ahead of the 2023 trade deadline.

As it turns out, this is the only trade the Magic made before the 3:00 ET deadline on Thursday, which is a surprise, considering the various amounts of trade rumors regarding Orlando’s other players. For reference, NBA Insider Marc Stein noted that Orlando was actively shopping Bamba, Terrence Ross, and R.J. Hampton ahead of the deadline.

“The Magic are welcoming trade inquiries for Mo Bamba, Terrence Ross, and R.J. Hampton ahead of the deadline, league sources say,” Stein said on January 26th via The Stein Line. “Ross is a player, sources say, rival teams are monitoring as a potential buyout candidate if no trade materializes.”

Since being selected No. 6 overall in the 2018 NBA Draft by the Magic, Bamba has provided mixed results over the past four and a half seasons. In Bamba’s first three seasons with the Magic, the 7’0″, 231-pound center endured considerable struggles, averaging 15.3 MPG, 6.5 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 1.3 BPG while shooting 47.1% from the field and 32.2% from three-point range in 155 games (six starts).

In his fourth season, however, Bamba seemingly broke out, averaging a career-high 25.7 MPG, 10.6 PPG, 8.1 RPG, and 1.7 BPG while shooting 48.0% from the field and 38.1% from three-point range in 71 games (69 starts). Due to his career-best statistical season, Orlando decided to re-sign Bamba to a two-year, $21 Million Contract once free agency began, keeping him under contract until the 2024 season.

With the excellent play of star forwards Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero, along with Wendell Carter Jr., Jonathan Isaac, and Moritz Wagner, Bamba’s role in Orlando diminished once again amid the Magic’s crowded frontcourt. In 40 games (six starts) this season for the Magic, Bamba averaged just 17.0 MPG, 7.3 PPG, 4.6 RPG, and 0.3 BPG.

In spite of Bamba’s aforementioned struggles, Los Angeles has been search of a big man who can space the floor and protect the rim for quite some time. For reference, the Lakers were heavily linked to Indiana’s Myles Turner and San Antonio’s Jakob Poeltl, but no trade materialized. Fortnuatly, Bamba fills both of those needs, who is quietly shooting 49.5% from the field, 39.8% from three-point range, and 59.6% on effective field goals, all career-highs.

Now in Los Angeles, Bamba will join the Lakers’ new look frontcourt, which made a flurry of trades ahead of the trade deadline. To be specific, the Lakers added Utah’s Jarred Vanderbilt and Denver’s Davon Reed in separate trades, while also aquring Washington’s Rui Hachimura on January 23rd. In doing so, Los Angeles was also able to offload Russell Westbrook‘s massive contract to Utah and received Minnesota’s D’Angelo Russell and Malik Beasley in the process.

With Russell and Beasley joining Los Angeles’ backcourt rotation, the Lakers deemed Beverley to be expendable, as shown with him landing in Orlando. After being shipped from Minnesota to Utah in the Rudy Gobert trade, Beverley was on the move again, going to Los Angeles on August 25th. In playing alongside Westbrook, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis, Beverley averaged 26.9 MPG, 6.4 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 2.6 APG, and 0.9 SPG on 40.2%/34.8%/78.0% shooting splits in 45 games (45 starts) this season.

At 34 years old, Beverley isn’t expected to contribute to Orlando’s current rebuild, and may have his contract bought out by the Magic. If Orlando does buy out Beverley’s contract (1 Yr, $13 M), then the 6’1″, 180-pound guard will become an unrestricted free agent, and will have the choice of signing with any team. According to Minnesota Timberwolves’ reporter Dane Moore, a reunion between Beverley and the Timberwolves is “is in the works” when he becomes a free agent.

With this said, the aforementioned trade between the Magic and the Lakers has officially expanded to include the Nuggets and Clippers, according to The Orlando Senteniel’s Khobi Price. The full details of the four-team trade are listed below.

• Orlando Magic received: 2024 second-round pick (via DEN), Patrick Beverley, and cash considerations.
• Los Angeles Lakers received: Mo Bamba, Davon Reed, and 2024 and 2025 second-round picks (Via LAL).
• Denver Nuggets received: Thomas Bryant.
• Los Angeles Clippers received: Bones Hyland.

The Los Angeles Lakers are trading Patrick Beverley to the Orlando Magic for center Mo Bamba, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 9, 2023