The Memphis Grizzlies and Orlando Magic have completed the first trade of the 2025 offseason, and it could shake up both the Western and Eastern Conference standings for the years to come.
Let’s look at how things shaped up for both teams after Memphis received a massive multi-pick package for Desmond Bane, sending him south to Florida.
Grading the Blockbuster Grizzlies-Magic Trade for Desmond Bane
The trade was first reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania, reporting “The Memphis Grizzlies are trading Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, four unprotected first-round picks and one first-round pick swap, sources tell ESPN.”
BREAKING: The Memphis Grizzlies are trading Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, four unprotected first-round picks and one first-round pick swap, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/UcQnmHbgZb
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 15, 2025
Let’s grade both sides, starting with the Magic, who just added one of the league’s top shooters.
Orlando Magic
It’s been widely known that the Magic needed another guard to complement Jalen Suggs and play alongside star forwards Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. Now, in Bane, they have one.
While not a point guard by nature, he handled the ball for the Grizzlies’ second unit and averaged a proficient 5.3 assists this season to go along with 19.2 points per game. If he needs to play point guard, he can — as can Suggs, who was the primary ball handler in college and has played on and off the ball in the pros.
However, the most significant aspect of Bane’s game will elevate Orlando the most: his shooting. The Magic ranked 24th in the league in 3-pointers attempted per game (35.1) and dead last in both made 3s per game (11.1) and 3-point percentage (31.5%).
Per Charania, “Bane is one of three NBA players with 800 made 3-pointers and 40% 3-point shooting since entering the league in 2020, and has shot 43.2% on catch and shoot 3s in [the] last 5 seasons.”
Last season, Bane knocked down 39.2% of his 6.2 attempts per game from deep. During the 2023-24 season, he jacked up 8.6 attempts per game on 38.1%, which is likely what he’ll resemble with the Magic, who need volume.
While the Magic moved multiple players in the trade, this is an excellent swap of talent. Caldwell-Pope and Anthony are solid players, but neither averaged double-figure scoring, with the latter falling out of the rotation late in the season in favor of second-year guard Anthony Black.
Caldwell-Pope was particularly disappointing; the Magic signed him away from the Denver Nuggets on a three-year, $66 million deal last offseason with hopes that his shooting would open up their offense. He converted just 34.2% of his triples, the worst mark since his third season in the league. His 8.7 points per game were the lowest output since his rookie year.
But the biggest concern for Orlando isn’t the players — it’s the picks.
According to ESPN, Orlando is sending Memphis the No. 16 pick in the 2025 NBA draft, Phoenix’s first-round pick in 2026, and its 2028 and 2030 unprotected first-round selections. The pick swap is lightly protected in 2029.
In all, that’s four unprotected first-rounders, plus a lightly protected pick swap in 2029. It’s a large gamble that Bane will be one of their core players. He’s under contract until the summer of 2029, but giving up control of five first-rounders is a lot.
Bane has never made an All-Star team, and while he is a good shooter and scorer, he doesn’t project as a multi-time All-Star in the future. And as a defender, he doesn’t bring much to a defensive-minded team, though not a bad defender.
The Magic evaluated where they were at and decided to push their chips to the middle, hoping to take advantage of a relatively weak Eastern Conference, seeing what the Indiana Pacers have been able to do this season on their run to the NBA Finals.
Orlando Magic Grade: C+
Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies had a very disappointing finish to this season, having to win their way into the playoffs through the play-in tournament before meeting the 68-win Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round. They were promptly sent home in a four-game sweep that included giving up a 29-point comeback in Game 3 — the second-largest postseason comeback in NBA history.
Before the playoffs even started, head coach Taylor Jenkins was fired. Simply put, the vibes were not good. And now, after taking over a month to assess the season and look forward, the Grizzlies’ decision-makers decided to break up their trio of Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Bane.
That core was the engine behind three postseason runs, including a second-round appearance in 2022 that resulted in a six-game series loss to the eventual champion Golden State Warriors. The arrow seemed to be pointing up — until it wasn’t.
Off-court issues and injuries sidelined Morant for a majority of the 2023-24 season, leaving Bane and Jackson to pilot a 27-win campaign, ultimately a lost season. There was hope for a turnaround campaign in the 2024-25 season, with health on their side. However, the bottom fell out, and before they knew it, the season was over.
With Bane off to the Magic, the Grizzlies welcome two players who could contribute right away or be included in future trade talks. Caldwell-Pope, though coming off one of the worst seasons of his career, spaces the floor on the wing and provides solid defense. Anthony could add to the Grizzlies’ second unit, which finished second in the NBA in bench scoring at 43.9 points per game.
But the real prize here is the draft capital. Memphis didn’t have a 2025 first-round pick because of the Marcus Smart trade; now they’re back in the first round at No. 16.
They also have Phoenix’s coveted unprotected first-rounder in 2026, which could be valuable given Kevin Durant’s uncertain future. Though unlikely to undergo a full rebuild with Devin Booker still on the roster, it’s hard to see them making the playoffs after missing out in 2024-25.
Though Orlando has made the playoffs in each of the last two seasons — and its core players (Suggs, Banchero, Wagner, and now Bane) are under contract for the years to come — it’s great business to acquire unprotected first-round picks. Factor in the Grizzlies’ tremendous track record of developing mid-to-low first-round picks (Bane was drafted No. 30 in 2020), and they have more shots to take at the board.
The Grizzlies’ season ended ugly, and it was questionable whether their trio would stick together. Now, the question is whether they have enough to still compete in the West?
Morant, a two-time All-Star and a budding superstar point guard when healthy, and Jackson, a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate and two-time All-Star, headline the roster. Their bench was one of the top units in the league, adding Anthony, who brings even more of a scoring pop. Caldwell-Pope will bring spacing, defense, and arguably most importantly, a veteran voice and presence.
It’s a solid core — albeit not as star-studded — that could gel well enough with a new coach to make noise in the playoffs.
Consider the draft pick haul that the Grizzlies are receiving, and this is an excellent trade for Memphis, setting them up for the future while not compromising the present.
Memphis Grizzlies Grade: A