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5 players to watch at 2019 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas

By Daniel Lubofsky

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 26: Allonzo Trier #14 and Mitchell Robinson #26 of the New York Knicks wait to rebound during the first half of the game against the Orlando Magic at Madison Square Garden on February 26, 2019 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 26: Allonzo Trier #14 and Mitchell Robinson #26 of the New York Knicks wait to rebound during the first half of the game against the Orlando Magic at Madison Square Garden on February 26, 2019 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

3. Mohamed Bamba

Mohamed Bamba was one of the most tantalizing prospects in the loaded 2018 NBA Draft class. An athletic seven-foot big man with arms that stretch out to 7’9”, he was viewed as a future star at the defensive end with budding inside-out potential offensively.

His rookie season didn’t fall in line with those expectations. Drafted sixth overall by the Orlando Magic, Bamba appeared in just 47 games as a result of a fractured left tibia. Even when suited up, he found difficulties in cracking the rotation behind Nikola Vucevic, who would go on to make his first All-Star appearance.

Whatever faith Orlando may have had in the young center seems to slowly dissipate by the day. Having made the postseason for the first time since 2012, the Magic re-signed Vucevic to a four-year contract and don’t appear to be moving on from him anytime soon, leaving Bamba in an awkward spot to find his role within the team.

Having said that, he’s still just 21 years of age and put up solid numbers in the limited minutes he was given. Bamba’s apparently added roughly 20 pounds to his thin frame to get him up to 240, which should bode when it comes time to assert his presence down low.

The NBA has seen plenty of incoming rookies fail to land in ideal situations, only to fade out of the league in just a few years. Barring an unexpected trade, Bamba isn’t likely to leave Orlando’s crowded frontcourt anytime soon, but a strong showing out in Vegas could restart the wheels on a hype train that was cruising along only a year ago.