Former Sixer Mo Bamba joining Clippers on a one-year deal

Mo Bamba is leaving the 76ers after agreeing to a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Clippers, a source confirmed to The Inquirer on Monday night.

Bamba had a fluctuating role in his only season with the Sixers. He was not in the rotation when 2023 NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid was healthy, but Bamba became the starting center during Embiid’s two-month absence while recovering from knee surgery. Bamba averaged 4.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 57 games.

Bamba’s departure is part of an extensive roster refresh for the Sixers, who entered Sunday with 11 unrestricted free agents and more than $60 million in salary-cap space. But they are already stacked at the center position after former backup Andre Drummond agreed to return to Philly on a two-year deal Sunday evening and UCLA big man Adem Bona was drafted with the 41st pick last week. They join Embiid and Paul Reed, who is on a non-guaranteed contract and could be waived or traded sometime this offseason.

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Bamba joins Nico Batum as 2023-24 Sixers who on Monday reportedly agreed to sign with the Clippers. That team’s financial flexibility to bolster its roster with multiple role players is at least partially due to the Sixers luring perennial All-Star Paul George away on a four-year, $212 million max contract.

Before joining the Sixers on a veteran’s minimum contract last summer, Bamba played for the Los Angeles Lakers and Orlando Magic. He was a lottery draft pick (No. 6) out of Texas in 2018, and spent part of his high school career at Westtown School.