While the Indiana Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder are still fighting for the championship, and before the 2024-2025 NBA season even wraps up, other teams are already actively shopping in the offseason. Just recently, the Memphis Grizzlies sent Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic in exchange for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, and an insane number of draft picks, which may have just caused landscape-altering effects in the league.
Who Actually Won the Trade?
The Grizzlies, who were once deemed as strong contenders in the Western Conference, just suddenly faded away. With the team not meeting expectations anymore, it’s about time they make a few adjustments in the summer, which is by trading away one of their top scorers, Desmond Bane. Despite Bane not being a household name, moving the 26-year-old lethal shooter is still a huge move. However, the Grizzlies’ front office made sure they got the best out of this trade, and they surely did.
In exchange for Bane, Memphis received Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, a veteran 3-and-D guy and a former champion; Cole Anthony, a solid and athletic point guard with some quality scoring traits; and most importantly, FOUR future first-round draft picks and a pick swap. Not only did they get solid role players to reinforce Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., but they also got a ton of picks: the 16th pick in the 2025 NBA draft, a first-round pick in 2026 which is originally from the Phoenix Suns, and unprotected first-round picks in 2028 and 2030.
Meanwhile, the Magic spent a huge chunk of their assets on Desmond Bane. Although he’s undeniably one of the best shooters in the game right now, he’s still not a star they could bank on. In five years, the former Texas Christian University standout hasn’t really achieved anything significant yet. However, he is a career 41% three-point shooter who could easily reach 17 to 20 points per game, providing some help in the Magic’s offense in the backcourt, while Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner hold the fort in the frontcourt. In addition, Bane is an above-average defender.
Ultimately, all things considered, the Grizzlies finessed the Magic. Only time would tell if these first-round picks would turn out great for Memphis or if they would fumble the draft in the next five years.
On the other hand, it’s also understandable why Orlando quickly jumped and acquired Bane. In fairness, those picks may be in the first round, but they aren’t lottery picks. Trading them for an excellent scorer and decent defender is a good move.
Furthermore, they’re a borderline contender with two legit stars on their roster to push them further. Of course, they’re going to stack the lineup with better players. Hopefully, the new trio of Banchero-Wagner-Bane works out for the Magic.
The After Effects: What the Desmond Bane Trade Could Mean to the NBA
The Desmond Bade trade opened a can of worms by setting a tone for offseason trades moving forward. How could a team get such a huge return package in exchange for a non-All-Star? This number of picks isn’t new, but considering the player they are for, it is kind of unbelievable. At a quick glance, four unprotected first draft picks, a pick swap, and two solid rotation players are like a package meant for, say, maybe De’Aaron Fox or Kristaps Porzingis, who were both former All-Stars. Even the Dallas Mavericks only got one pick in the Luka Doncic trade.
This means that teams would now start changing their demands in the summer with the thought that if Memphis got a nice package for Bane, then so could they. With top guys like Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo expected to be moving from their respective cities, we won’t be surprised if the Phoenix Suns and the Milwaukee Bucks start asking for more than what they’re initially pricing.
Overall, this could sort of alter trading scenes moving forward and possibly even the NBA’s landscape, with teams now putting a lot of demands in exchange for a superstar. However, this wasn’t the first and certainly won’t be the last.
