Milwaukee Bucks (2008–2013) Mbah a Moute gave up his final year of college eligibility at UCLA to enter the
2008 NBA draft, in which he was selected by the
Milwaukee Bucks with the 37th overall pick. Mbah a Moute got off to a quick start with the Bucks and quickly became a fan favorite. His strong play, especially on defense, led to him overtaking
Charlie Villanueva as the Bucks' starting power forward only nine games into the season. In his second game as a starter, Mbah a Moute posted career highs of 19 points and 17 rebounds in a 101–96 victory over the
Memphis Grizzlies. Bucks head coach
Scott Skiles and general manager
John Hammond both praised Mbah a Moute's defensive skills. After the 2010–11 season, Mbah a Moute became a
restricted free agent. On 10 December 2011, he received a four-year, $18.7 million offer sheet from the
Denver Nuggets. Three days later, the Bucks matched the offer sheet, re-signing Mbah a Moute.
Sacramento Kings (2013) On 12 July 2013, Mbah a Moute was traded to the
Sacramento Kings.
Minnesota Timberwolves (2013–2014) On 26 November 2013, Mbah a Moute was traded to the
Minnesota Timberwolves for
Derrick Williams.
Philadelphia 76ers (2014–2015) On 23 August 2014, a three-team trade was completed, involving the Timberwolves, the
Cleveland Cavaliers, and the
Philadelphia 76ers. As part of the deal, Mbah a Moute and teammate
Alexey Shved were traded to the Sixers, along with a 2015 first round draft pick from Cleveland. The Cavaliers received
Kevin Love from Minnesota, whereas the Wolves received
Andrew Wiggins and
Anthony Bennett from Cleveland and
Thaddeus Young from Philadelphia. It united him with
Joel Embiid, a fellow Cameroonian he had invited to his Basketball Without Borders camp in 2011 and who had been selected by the 76ers with their
2014 first round pick. On 14 July 2015, Mbah a Moute signed with the Sacramento Kings once again. However, two days later, his contract was voided by the Kings after he failed his physical examination. Mbah a Moute felt he was mistreated by the Kings and filed grievance against the team. He later passed a medical test in order to compete for Team Africa at the
2015 NBA Africa exhibition game on 1 August.
Los Angeles Clippers (2015–2017) On 25 September 2015, Mbah a Moute signed with the
Los Angeles Clippers. Midway through the 2015–16 season, the Clippers placed Mbah a Moute in the starting lineup. On 8 July 2016, Mbah a Moute re-signed with the Clippers. On 21 April 2017, in Game 3 of the Clippers' first-round playoff series against the
Utah Jazz, Mbah a Moute scored a career playoff-high 15 points to help the Clippers win 111–106, taking a 2–1 lead in the series. The Clippers went on to lose the series to the Jazz in seven games.
Houston Rockets (2017–2018) On 19 July 2017, Mbah a Moute signed with the
Houston Rockets. On 22 November 2017, in a 125–95 win against the
Denver Nuggets, Mbah a Moute finished with a
plus–minus of +57, the highest in an NBA game in 20 years. He was a perfect 5-of-5 shooting for 13 points in 26 minutes, during which the Rockets outscored the Nuggets 93–36. On 14 December 2017, he was ruled out for two to three weeks with a shoulder injury. Mbah a Moute dislocated his shoulder for a second time on 10 April 2018, in a 105–99 win over the
Los Angeles Lakers. He subsequently missed the first round of the playoffs.
Return to the Clippers (2018–2019) On 19 July 2018, Mbah a Moute signed with the
Los Angeles Clippers, returning to the franchise for a second stint. He appeared in just four games for the Clippers in 2018–19 after injuring his left knee in a game against the
New Orleans Pelicans on 23 October 2018. He initially underwent various non-surgical treatment options before ultimately undergoing a partial medial meniscectomy on his left knee, with medial femoral condyle chondroplasty, on 28 March 2019.
Return to the Rockets (2020) On July 7, 2020, the
Houston Rockets announced that they had signed Mbah a Moute. ==Career statistics==