Jazz's Mo Bamba addition came at the expense of a higher-upside reunion

To mitigate their lack of frontcourt depth, the Utah Jazz signed Mo Bamba to a 10-day contract. There's no telling if that coild turn a full-time deal if all goes well, but it is puzzling that they went to him first when KJ Martin was right there.

Martin was the Jazz's most notable trade deadline acquisition last year. Sure, he was on a team-friendly deal in which his $8 million contract was nonguaranteed, but he had proven he was quality. He never dominated the box score, but he knew how to finish highlight reel plays.

A tall, highly athletic rim runner that could finish lobs and block shots at the still-young age of 25 deserved another shot with the Jazz. Why didn't he get another shot with the Jazz, you might ask?

Well, besides having a team-friendly deal that Utah went on to waive, the Jazz did so because they couldn't find a taker for Kevin Love. While no one is complaining about that now, as Love has embraced being the veteran mentor their young talent can look up to, it is a shame that all of that came at the expense of Martin.

For what it's worth, Utah didn't waive Martin right away once the opportunity presented itself. They waived him in September when they had the entire offseason to do so. Once Love and Jusuf Nurkic were on the team - combined with Taylor Hendricks' return from injury - his role would have been reduced even more, so he was out.

But now, Hendricks is gone, Nurkic and Jaren Jackson Jr are out for the season, and Lauri Markkanen is out indefinitely. With Walker Kessler already on the shelf, that leaves Love, Bamba, Kyle Filipowski, and Oscar Tshiebwe as their only bigs. Martin could certainly slide in there.

For the record, all of this being said about Martin is nothing against Bamba. He's been patiently waiting for this chance, and it could lead to another down the line if all goes well. It just seems like Martin was the better option of the two.

Maybe Martin wasn't available?

Even though Martin is no longer in the NBA, he has since resumed his professional basketball career in the Chinese Basketball Association, as he currently plays for the Ningbo Rockets. It's possible he didn't sign an opt-out clause.

It's also possible that he doesn't want to be a short rental for someone like the Jazz. He also probably wants to play somewhere where he knows he will get playing time. Any NBA player who migrates to the CBA usually becomes a star overseas.

Maybe it just truly is over between the two sides, and the Jazz simply wanted to add someone who was aching for another crack at the NBA with Mamba. In any case, with Utah's current situation, Martin's talent and familiarity would have made him a sensible addition to the Jazz.