Mo Bamba — one of the best big men in this year’s draft class — is projected to be on the board at No. 4 overall. The Memphis Grizzlies, who pick fourth, need a center for the post-Marc Gasol era. Sounds like a match made in basketball heaven, right?
Mo Bamba stiff-arming the Grizzlies is another example of the 2018 NBA draft class wielding its power
Several prospects have withheld medical documents from or refused to workout for NBA teams. They’re picky — as they should be — with their future.
Photo by Chris Covatta/Getty Images
No. It’s not. Because Mo Bamba wants absolutely no part of Memphis. He’s not working out for them. He’s not giving them his medical records. And according to ESPN’s NBA Draft guru Johnathan Givony, AKA @DraftExpress, in an interview with 92.9 FM ESPN Radio’s Jason & John Show on Tuesday, Bamba straight up told Grizzlies’ brass he didn’t want to play for them.
This draft class isn’t playing games
Bamba isn’t the only prospect to completely disregard an NBA team. Top prospects, including Jaren Jackson Jr. and Luka Doncic, flat out refused to submit medical records to the Sacramento Kings, who pick second in the draft. That means if the Kings really want Bamba, Jackson, or Doncic, they have to take them with blind faith in their health.
It kind of puts Sacramento in a tough spot — if Ayton indeed goes No. 1, the Kings wouldn’t have medical records for any of the three best-remaining prospects. But this is how the new generation of players are wielding their power over their future. Once a player completes his rookie contract, the team that drafted him has the power to match all competing offers during restricted free agency. That means if they match a four-year offer, a rookie can be looking at eight years in the same city.
That’s a big chunk of time and energy to commit to a franchise, especially if it’s one that player doesn’t want to play for.
This has happened before
Before the 76ers were a playoff contender with oozing gobs of potential, they were the laughing stock of the NBA. Kristaps Porzingis saw that, and as one of the top prospects in the 2015 NBA Draft, he wielded that same power. Not only did Porzingis decline a private workout invitation and refuse to give his medical records, he wouldn’t even sit down for a face-to-face interview. The 76ers couldn’t even get FaceTime; KP was unavailable.
Another example? Kobe Bryant in 1996. The Black Mamba skipped Nets’ workouts, but it seemed New Jersey was still going to pick him. Then Bryant’s camp called the Nets and told them he didn’t want to play for them. End of story; or maybe the beginning.
We saw what happened with Isaiah Thomas, whom Boston traded weeks after injuring his hip, breaking his jaw and losing his front tooth for a Celtics team he carried to the Eastern Conference Finals. The NBA is a business first. This draft class seems at least a little bit ahead of the curve. And while it puts Memphis and Sacramento in a compromising position, you can’t blame these prospects for looking out for themselves.
Don’t hate the player. Hate the game.
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