Yesterday, the Orlando Magic completed a blockbuster trade to acquire shooting guard Desmond Bane from the Memphis Grizzlies for point guard Cole Anthony, shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, four first-round draft picks, and a first-round draft pick swap in 2029.
In exchange for Desmond Bane, the Grizzlies will receive Anthony, Caldwell-Pope, the 16th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, unprotected first-round draft picks in 2026, 2028, and 2030, and a 2029 first-round pick swap that is top-two protected. Additionally, the 2026 selection includes pick swaps from either the Phoenix Suns or the Washington Wizards.
Massive swing for Orlando to compete in the Eastern Conference, and for the Grizzlies, an opportunity to add a championship defensive wing, backcourt depth and a major haul of draft picks to utilize. https://t.co/DeWziUWLkv
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 15, 2025
“We are very thrilled to welcome Desmond to the Orlando Magic family,” said Orlando’s president of Basketball Operations, Jeff Weltman. “Over his five years in the NBA, Desmond has distinguished himself as one of the elite guards in our league, and we look forward to his shooting, IQ, and wide-ranging skill set in helping our team take a step forward. Desmond’s character is held in high regard across the league, and we believe he will fit seamlessly with our existing players both on and off the court.”
During the 2024-25 regular season, Desmond Bane was the third-best scorer for the Grizzlies (19.2 points per game). He also led the team in three-point attempts (6.1) and makes (2.4) per game.
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A necessary addition for the Magic
This might be an overpay in terms of the trade assets that Orlando had to give up, but we’ll get to that in a little bit. For now, we need to look at the immediate impact that this trade will have on the franchise. Though it seems like Orlando is sacrificing a lot, it’s to solidify their future.
The Magic have quietly risen up the ranks ever since drafting Paolo Banchero with the number one overall pick in 2022. They failed to make the playoffs in his first season, but they have reached the postseason in back-to-back years, posting a record of 88-76 during that time. Unfortunately, the Magic are 4-8 in those playoff appearances, so they needed to make a big splash this summer if they wanted to get over the hump in the Eastern Conference. I believe the acquisition of Desmond Bane is definitely a step in the right direction.
Desmond Bane is top 10 all-time in
— Points
— Assists
— Threes
— Playoff points
— Playoff rebounds
— Playoff assists
— Playoff steals
— Playoff threes (franchise leader)for the Grizzlies. pic.twitter.com/gk0Og2lrxI
— StatMuse (@statmuse) June 15, 2025
The Orlando Magic were the worst three-point shooting team in the NBA this year. They finished dead last in that category during the regular season (31.8%) and the playoffs (26.3%). The expectation is that Desmond Bane will help elevate those numbers. After all, this is a guy who ranks 15th in three-point percentage since the start of the 2020-21 season amongst players who have made at least 413 threes over that period.
We also have to remember that Desmond Bane is only 26 years old. He hasn’t even hit his physical prime yet. His scoring output might have taken a slight dip this season, but I think that can be attributed to Ja Morant playing in 50 games as opposed to nine the previous year.
The Magic are an excellent defensive team. With Banchero, Franz Wagner, Mo Wagner, and Jalen Suggs leading the charge, they were able to hold teams to 105.5 points per game during the regular season, the best mark in the NBA. Their problem has always been the offense, where they were the second-worst scoring team in the league. With the addition of Bane, I think Orlando has solidified its core for years to come and can expect an improvement from beyond the arc next season.
An easy decision to make for the Grizzlies
Though I like the acquisition of Desmond Bane, I think the Memphis Grizzlies fleeced the Orlando Magic for a guy who hasn’t even been named to an All-Star game through the first five seasons of his career. Bane might have been a building block that the Grizzlies wanted to focus their franchise around, but the offer they received from the Magic was too good to pass up.
First, they get Cole Anthony, who can be a good backup option to Ja Morant, who has had issues staying on the court, whether it be due to injury or suspension. Then, they land Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, a two-time NBA Champion and rotational player who can split time with Scotty Pippen Jr. while allowing him to develop. And lastly, the cherry on top is four first-round draft picks and a pick swap in 2029. That is an absolute haul for Desmond Bane, a player who had the second-worst field goal percentage on the team during Memphis’ short 2025 playoff run.
.@stephenasmith loves Desmond Bane’s game, but he’s concerned with how much the Magic gave up 😯
“If you’re making a deal like that, you’re saying ‘this move puts us in championship contention,’ and I don’t know if it does that.” pic.twitter.com/b6Z0UdNRV7
— First Take (@FirstTake) June 16, 2025
The Grizzlies have two established pieces with Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. Those are going to be the faces of the franchise for years to come unless a bona fide superstar becomes available via trade. They also drafted Zach Edey, who I think can turn into a legitimately good starting center in the NBA if he can stay healthy. Now the Grizzlies need to think about who they can add to continue to improve.
With the assets they just acquired in this trade, they can go in a few different directions. They can hold on to the draft picks and create a roster full of first-rounders. Then again, they could use all of this draft capital to acquire an established veteran star like Zion Williamson, Kevin Durant, or somebody else. I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s the direction they end up going in.
They might have lost an effective three-point shooter, but the future of the Memphis Grizzlies organization looks much brighter than it did when the season ended. I believe this trade could be a turning point in this franchise’s history.
How does this trade affect the rest of the league?
A blockbuster trade of this magnitude has a ripple effect throughout the entire NBA, but not in the way you might think. I don’t think this move elevates the Magic or Grizzlies into the upper echelon of their respective conferences. However, it does greatly impact any trades that could be made this summer.
If Desmond Bane can garner two players and four first-round draft picks, then think about what the Phoenix Suns could get back for Kevin Durant. Any potential trade involving KD would also have to include multiple first-round draft picks and proven players. That rings true for other potential trade targets like Zion Williamson and Trae Young.
Thank you @DBane0625 for five great years 💙🐻 pic.twitter.com/T5DCblfSwm
— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) June 15, 2025
Remember those funny trade projections that had the Milwaukee Bucks giving up Giannis Antetokounmpo, one of the three best basketball players in the world right now, for a couple of players and two or three first-round picks? That will no longer be enough to land the Greek Freak. If Desmond Bane can bring in four first-round picks, then Giannis is worth at least seven first-round picks and a slew of effective contributors. The Desmond Bane trade basically makes Giannis Antetokounmpo untouchable because no team will be able to provide enough draft capital to meet the Milwaukee Bucks’ asking price.
This was already expected to be a very active summer in terms of free agency and trades. With Desmond Bane driving up the asking price of superstars around the league, I think the blockbuster moves will be even bigger than they were originally projected to be.
