Mo Bamba Stays in Utah on a Two-Year Deal After Playing Just Two Games Last Season

The Utah Jazz and Mo Bamba are running it back. And honestly, the fact that Bamba is getting a multiyear deal after playing all of two games for the team last season tells you something about how the front office sees him.

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Wednesday that the former Texas Longhorns center agreed to a two-year contract to stay with the Jazz. Terms of the deal haven’t been disclosed yet, but Bamba is coming off a veteran minimum deal he signed last summer.

Bamba appeared in just two games for Utah during the 2025-26 season. In 38 total minutes, he put up 10 points, grabbed 20 rebounds and blocked two shots. That’s it. The rest of the season he was either injured or out of the rotation, which is a weird spot for a 7-footer who was taken sixth overall in the 2018 draft.

But the Jazz clearly think there’s something there worth betting on. Bamba showed flashes as a shot-blocker and stretch five with the Magic and later in spot minutes with the Lakers and Sixers. At 27, he’s still young enough that a team with cap space and patience might unlock something consistent. Utah fits that description.

What This Means for the Jazz Frontcourt

Utah is still in the middle of a soft rebuild. They’ve got young guards like Keyonte George and a bunch of picks stored up. Bamba gives them another big body behind Walker Kessler, assuming Kessler is still on the roster when the season starts. There’s been chatter about the Jazz moving Kessler at some point, and if that happens, Bamba suddenly becomes a lot more relevant.

Bamba’s biggest issue has always been consistency and staying healthy. He’s played more than 50 games in a season only twice in his career. The Jazz are essentially buying low on a guy who could be a rotation player or better if everything clicks. If it doesn’t, it’s a short deal and they move on.

This signing isn’t going to move the needle for Vegas or excite the fanbase. But it’s a solid depth move for a team that doesn’t need to rush anything. Bamba gets another chance to prove he belongs. The Jazz get a low-risk flier with some upside.