NBA

Grizzlies receive:
SG Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
PG Cole Anthony
2025 No. 16 overall pick
2026 unprotected first-round pick (Suns)
2028 unprotected first-round pick
2029 lightly-protected first-round pick swap
2030 unprotected first-round pick

Magic receive:
SG Desmond Bane

Trade season is starting early, I see.

The top priority for the Magic this offseason was to acquire a shot-making guard that could play alongside Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. Scanning the league, there were plenty of teams and players that could assist Orlando in landing that player. One option I apparently overlooked were the Grizzlies and Bane.

For one, Memphis isn’t exactly a bad — or even below average — team. Sure, the franchise is undoubtedly reshuffling the deck after firing Taylor Jenkins and an early playoff exit, but Bane actually felt like the safest bet to stay put in Memphis. Now, everything is on the table for the Grizzlies. A Ja Morant trade? Maybe! Jaron Jackson Jr. being moved? Why not! Memphis is up to something.

So is Orlando, though. But at least the Magic side of this transaction was more predictable, save for the positionality of it. I figured that if a big trade involving Orlando occurred, it would be for a point guard. Bane averaged 5.3 assists per game this season, but like Banchero and Wagner, he plays predominantly off-ball, making the fit between the three rising stars fascinating.

The Magic are surrendering a lot for Bane, but that’s the typical going rate for good starters. Additionally, it doesn’t hurt to shed the contracts of Cole Anthony and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Caldwell-Pope, of course, will be replaced by Bane in the starting lineup. That’s an obvious win.

The not-so-obvious variable of this deal are the outgoing draft selections. Orlando should be good enough to withstand parting with a high lottery pick in this trade, but nothing is certain in the NBA. Giving away four unprotected first-round picks is akin to giving away a large bounty, but at least the Magic’s core trio are all young. Better days should be ahead for the organization.

The timing is also right for the Magic. The Eastern Conference — per usual — is in shambles, so it’s a great moment to strike. Orlando still needs to add some shooting, but it’s now absolutely a player in what should be a lightly-contested race. A Banchero-Wagner-Bane trio can go up against almost any threesome in the NBA.

The Magic are making this trade to win. The Grizzlies, um, are not. Adding the draft capital from this trade is far from nothing, but Memphis will now have to make do without Bane, one of the league’s 50 or so best players. Having somewhat of a war chest of assets is obviously good, but the direction of the franchise is unclear.

One trade down and many more to go. Usually we have to wait until around the draft for our first bit of action, so it was a nice Father’s Day surprise to learn about this deal. Orlando is coming, and Memphis, seemingly, is going.

Grizzlies Grade: C

Magic Grade: B-