Jazian Gortman Declines College Interest; Notes on Mo Bamba, All-Value Contracts, and NBA Viewership Surge
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Several college programs have contacted the representatives of 22-year-old guard Jazian Gortman about joining an NCAA roster, but the former two-way player is not pursuing a return to campus, Field of 68’s Jeff Goodman reported. Gortman, currently with the Oklahoma City Blue in the G League, took part in the Overtime Elite program in 2022-23, went undrafted in 2023, and has since signed Exhibit 10 deals with the Bucks, Mavericks, and Thunder. He spent more than three months of the 2024-25 season on a two-way contract with Dallas and appeared in 16 NBA games.
Questions Persist Around Mo Bamba’s Effort
After recommending that the Toronto Raptors consider Mo Bamba for a 10-day contract next month, Sportsnet.ca’s Michael Grange spoke with league sources about why the 25-year-old center remains with the Salt Lake City Stars instead of an NBA club. Executives cited doubts about the consistency of Bamba’s effort despite his physical tools. The former lottery pick is averaging 16.5 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks over 14 G League games.
ESPN Lists 15 Best Bargain Deals
ESPN front-office insider Bobby Marks released his 15-man All-Value Team, highlighting players on salaries below $3 million who were not signed with first- or second-round cap exceptions. The list features Vit Krejci (Hawks), Neemias Queta (Celtics), Brandon Williams (Mavericks), and brothers Pat Spencer (Warriors) and Cam Spencer (Grizzlies).
Viewership Up 89 Percent in New Rights Deal’s First Year
On the eve of the NBA’s Christmas Day slate, the league announced that more than 87 million viewers have watched games this season across ESPN, NBC/Peacock, Amazon Prime Video, and NBA TV. The figure marks an 89 percent increase compared with the same point last year, the NBA said, attributing the jump to its new media rights agreement.
Source: Hoops Rumors
