The Mo Bamba era has seemingly come to an end for the Toronto Raptors… or has it?
After inking a deal with the Raptors on December 29, the team announced on Tuesday morning that it had waived the 28-year-old center. This came after just two games with Toronto, where he played a grand total of six minutes.
It was a rather unceremonious stint, but one that might not be over quite yet. Despite being waived, Sportsnet’s Michael Grange reported that Bamba could find his way back into the Raptors lineup this weekend.
“I expect he will sign a 10-day [contract] with [Raptors] on [Thursday],” Grange sent out on social media. “Since his deal [became] guaranteed on Jan. 10, they needed to waive him on Jan. 7 by 5 p.m. at the latest.
“By waiving him now, [Raptors] can sign him on Thursday and have him in Boston for practice and in the lineup vs. Cs, 76ers, and [LA Clippers]. They could even sign him to another 10-day after that, which gives them insurance on a five-game West Coast road swing.”
My thoughts on Mo Bamba being waived in one tweet, vs. 3, lol: pic.twitter.com/I1w2QT9UDp
— Michael Grange (@michaelgrange) January 6, 2026
If this turns out to be true, then Raptors fans should expect to ride the Bamba train a little while longer. Grange went on to say that the injured Jakob Poeltl is likely to return before that road trip, meaning a second 10-day contract for Bamba may not be necessary.
This will give the Raptors a bit more time to evaluate whether Bamba is a good fit for the team. If there isn’t one, Grange said that Toronto can explore backup center options ahead of next month’s trade deadline on Feb. 5.
Bamba is a former first-round draft pick of the Orlando Magic back in 2018. He has since had stints with the LA Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers, LA Clippers, and New Orleans Pelicans. Most recently, he played in the G League with the Salt Lake City Stars after being waived by the Utah Jazz after training camp.
Lead photo by
Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Imagn Images