Desmond Bane trade grades for Magic-Grizzlies blockbuster

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Desmond Bane trade grades for Magic-Grizzlies blockbuster

Troy Finnegan · ClutchPoints

Sun, Jun 15, 2025 ·

4 min read

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The post Desmond Bane trade grades for Magic-Grizzlies blockbuster appeared first on ClutchPoints .

The Memphis Grizzlies and the Orlando Magic shocked the NBA world on Sunday morning, pulling off the first blockbuster trade of the NBA offseason. Desmond Bane is headed to Orlando in exchange for four unprotected first-round picks, a pick swap, Cole Anthony and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope .

This move comes on the heels of disappointing first round playoff losses for both teams, and it addresses glaring needs for both teams. The Magic needed another perimeter shooter and scorer to go along with Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner , and now they have that in Bane.

On the other side, the Grizzlies needed to shake something up in an attempt to go backwards to get some more room to take a leap next year. The core of Ja Morant , Jaren Jackson Jr. and Bane seemed to have hit its ceiling, and now the Grizzlies have some breathing room to make a big roster pivot.

How did each team make out in the deal? Here are grades for both teams for this Father's Day blockbuster.

Magic get more star power, much-needed shooter

A deal like this for Orlando feels like it needs to be discussed in two parts.

First, there is the addition of Bane, which looks like a home run. He is one of the elite perimeter shooters in the NBA and can work both on and off the ball. Bane can shoot off the catch and on the move and will give Orlando some immediate artillery on the perimeter.

Bane can also handle the ball at times and initiate the offense, taking some burden off of Banchero and Wagner. With this extra ball handler, the Magic can use Banchero down low to attack mismatches, and they now have a true perimeter threat to deploy with him in the two-man game. Bane and Banchero are a great fit together on paper and it will be fascinating to see how they work together next season and beyond.

Wagner's playmaking should also help set Bane up as an off-ball scorer, a role that he thrived in playing alongside Morant over the last few seasons. The Magic now have a lethal starting core of Banchero, Bane, Wagner and Jalen Suggs , which should immediately help them take a step forward next season.

On the other side, the price of the trade has to bring the grade down a bit. The Magic gave up four unprotected first-round picks in this deal. Four!! Those include the No. 16 pick this year in a draft rich with potential role players. Crucially, it also included the Phoenix Suns ' unprotected pick in 2026.

With the Suns coming off of a nightmare season and steamrolling toward a breakup with Kevin Durant , there is a chance that next season could go very poorly as well. That pick could end up being a valuable asset in the lottery in a 2026 NBA Draft that is expected to be full of talent.

Giving up Cole Anthony and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope as a salary match isn't as big of a deal considering what Bane brings on the court, but what happens if this core tops out short of a title? The Magic now don't have many avenues to pivot.

This trade is just as much a bet on Banchero becoming a true superstar as it is on Bane lifting the Magic in the present and the future. While that could very well pay off, it's worth questioning whether Bane is the level of player that warrants a gamble this expensive.

Grade: B-

Grizzlies ready to build around Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr.

The Grizzlies clearly had to pivot after getting swept in the first round by the Oklahoma City Thunder this season. They already made a big move to fire head coach Taylor Jenkins near the end of the regular season, and now they have made their big move to shake up the team.

It doesn't come as much of a surprise that Bane was moved. Morant is a beloved athlete in Memphis and Jackson has flashed so much two-way upside over the last few years, which left the TCU product as the odd man out.

Now, the Grizzlies have plenty of flexibility to build around their two big-money stars. They get an extra draft pick this season to help supplement Morant and Jackson, and the Suns pick in 2026 could end up being very valuable as discussed above.

Caldwell-Pope is on a bad contract and has a player option at the end of next season, but he could be moved next offseason on an expiring deal. He underperformed last season, but there is a chance that he could rebound in a better offensive ecosystem in Memphis.

Anthony is on a team-friendly contract and has a club option after next season, so the Grizzlies have some control there. This opens up a lot of room for the Grizzlies to make a big move down the line, or to use the draft assets that they just brought in to make another swing this offseason. Kevin Durant , anyone?

Grade: B+

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