The Bobby Portis suspension has left the Milwaukee Bucks dangerously thin in the frontcourt. While deadline acquisition Jericho Sims has seen decent minutes, he has hardly had a similar impact.
In 49 minutes across three games for Milwaukee, he has grabbed 11 boards and scored 2 points.
While no Portis replacement exists among the options available at this point in the season, the Bucks could look to add another bench big in the buyout market. Sports Illustrated suggests the Bucks pursue a former 6th overall pick waived by the Utah Jazz post-deadline.
Buyout Market Could Enhance Milwaukee Bucks’ Safety Net at Center
If nothing else, such a move would provide insurance if one of Brook Lopez, Giannis Antetokounmpo or Sims has to miss time down the stretch. If need be, it would also give Doc Rivers another option outside of Sims.
Perhaps most importantly, it would simply provide another body in the frontcourt to ease the workload on Lopez, who is 36 years old, and Giannis, still ramping back from his calf strain. Although Sims has accounted for real rotation minutes, playing much more than that risks overextending his limited abilities. It is not enough to make up for the Portis-sized void of court-time.
And while sliding Kyle Kuzma to the four allows Doc to more feasibly stagger Giannis and Lopez at the five, it does not adequately address the need for backup center depth.
SI’s suggestion is hardly exciting, but buyout option Mo Bamba would mitigate Milwaukee’s vulnerability to the issues above. Traded from the Clippers and cut by the Jazz, the 7-footer played 28 games in Los Angeles averaging 12.6 minutes per contest, 4.6 PPG and 4.3 RPG. He did not appear in a game for Utah and last saw the court on January 27.
A career 35.7% shooter from three, by no means should he be billed as a Portis replacement. This season for the Clippers, Bamba tied his career-low with a 30.0% mark from beyond the arc at 1.8 attempts per game. But the fact that he is capable of knocking down outside shots, unlike Sims, would restore some of the versatility the Bucks have lost.
A Bamba-Sims Pairing Would Function More Effectively Than Either Player Alone
Before the Bucks acquired Sims, he was averaging 10.8 minutes per game for the Knicks. His career-high is 15.6. As a Buck, he is averaging 16.3. Sims brings some hops and a rim-running threat, but he is not the type of player you want spending a lot of time on the court.
Similarly, the only time Bamba saw more than 16 minutes per night was in 2021-22 with Orlando, when he averaged a career-high 10.6 PPG, 8.1 RPG and 1.7 BPG while shooting 38.1% on triples.
Certainly no team would expect the 26-year-old to reproduce those numbers, or deploy him anywhere near the 25.7 MPG he enjoyed that season, but that’s kind of the point. By balancing Sims and Bamba minutes, the Bucks could maximize contributions from both players by not asking too much of either.
Essentially, adding a piece like Bamba would be an insurance and depth move. For a team with a 36-year-old starting center and a recovering Greek Freak, those qualities should not be underestimated as the Bucks look to enter the playoffs fresh and healthy. In a thin market, Bamba could be worth a flyer.
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