You usually wouldn’t suspect the Orlando Magic and Memphis Grizzlies to be commerce companions, since in some ways, the groups are birds of a feather. Each groups weathered a number of accidents en path to first-round playoff exits, each groups have young-ish rosters they’re nonetheless determining however have now turn into costly and, most significantly, each groups have the identical strengths and weaknesses: A variety of protection and never a lot taking pictures.
Nonetheless, the Magic and Grizzlies minimize a giant deal Sunday, one that could be revelatory in regards to the subsequent steps for each groups and the mindset of the place they stand. In essence, it was a difficult commerce relating to the worth of Desmond Bane to a contender on his present contract. Orlando’s mission nonetheless felt too undefined because it waited and waited to push its chips in, with too many random guys and never sufficient starter-level expertise; Memphis, on the flip aspect, felt too boxed by Bane’s wage and the group’s lack of transactional flexibility.
Earlier than we go additional, the small print: The Grizzlies despatched Bane to Orlando for guards Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Cole Anthony, the sixteenth choose within the 2025 draft, unprotected 2028 and 2030 first-round picks from Orlando, a top-two protected choose swap with Orlando in 2029 and an unprotected first in 2026 that may very well be Orlando’s however could also be concerned in an advanced choose swap.*
(*That swap deserves its personal evaluation. The worst-case situation is that it’s simply an unprotected first from Orlando. Nonetheless, the lesser of Phoenix’s or Washington’s picks could be swapped with Orlando’s choose in 2026; if the Wizards stay unhealthy and the Suns fail to enhance, it is a potential late lottery choose for Memphis. Nonetheless, this choose can be top-eight protected on the Washington aspect. Thus, if we presume the Wizards will likely be brutally unhealthy once more, the Orlando swap can solely occur if the Suns don’t luck into leaping the Wizards on lottery night time, ensuing within the Wizards’ choose being swapped with theirs.
However wait, there’s extra! Moreover and confusingly, Memphis already owns one other piece of this swap from a special commerce, one that permits the Grizzlies to swap picks with no matter choose Phoenix has left after the Orlando swap … the identical choose that was simply traded to Memphis. So the Grizzlies now have the suitable to swap with a choose they already personal.
TL;DR: Memphis had one first in 2026, and now it has two. This choose is almost definitely Phoenix’s, however possibly not.)
So, again to the primary query: Did the Magic actually hand over 4 firsts and a swap for Bane? And … why?
Whereas the price of secondary stars has gone up lately (see: Bridges, Mikal), Bane is an attention-grabbing selection for the Magic as a result of he’s not an All-Star, and his contract is dear. Sure, the deal is cap-neutral for the approaching season, and we have now to acknowledge that a part of the draft-pick price is for suboptimal contract cash going outbound.
Nonetheless, the Magic are locked into 4 years and $163 million for Bane and are already dealing with an costly roster within the coming years because of the max extension for Franz Wagner and the one possible coming for Paolo Banchero. That’s the state of affairs Memphis was making an attempt to flee with Bane’s deal subsequent to Ja Morant’s and a probable max deal for Jaren Jackson Jr. (extra on that in a minute).
Including Bane’s wage to the 2025-26 cap doesn’t alter the mathematics a lot; Orlando is more likely to dip into the luxurious tax and flirt with the primary apron. Nonetheless, a probable supermax for Banchero would put Orlando above the second apron in 2026-27 if he makes one of many All-NBA groups in 2025-26. The Magic have some outs between from time to time with non-guarantees and group choices, however this Jalen Suggs-Bane-Wagner-Banchero-Wendell Carter Jr. core is fairly locked in. Any additional additions will likely be on the margins with the tax exception or through trades.
Talent-wise, the Bane commerce is critical for Orlando in a single vital respect: He’s an superior shooter with deep vary, one who has made 41 p.c from 3 for his profession, and the Magic had been final within the NBA in each 3-point makes and 3-point proportion in 2024-25. By way of addressing a necessity, Orlando hardly might have completed so with extra of an exclamation level. Bane had been pressed into extra on-ball reps the final two years in Memphis as a result of accidents and roster points however ought to thrive taking part in off the ball subsequent to Orlando’s two high-usage forwards.
Off the ball, he’s notably adept at shot-faking defenders closing out on his catch, then reloading and launching as soon as they’ve completed vaulting themselves into the seats.
Like this. Adios, Ayo:
Nonetheless, Bane’s addition has the knock-on impact of creating defensive stopper Suggs a full-time level guard. Is that this one thing he can deal with, even with Wagner and Banchero taking so many on-ball reps? Do the Magic nonetheless want a degree guard who can push tempo and contact the paint within the half court docket? Is that sort of participant nonetheless gettable with their remaining exceptions and property? That half, I might say, is extra a leap of religion and could be the tipping level in how Orlando seems to be again on this deal. If the lineup doesn’t work, Orlando’s subsequent strikes turn into sophisticated, because the Stepien Rule will forestall the Magic from buying and selling any firsts till 2032.
Larger image, the query is easier: Was Bane the one? Orlando has been extremely disciplined in maintaining its powder dry whereas the Suggs-Wagner-Banchero trio developed. Setting sugarplum fantasies of Giannis Antetokounmpo apart, was this the most effective participant the Magic might fairly purchase with their choose haul?
I feel that’s the place you’ll be able to view this commerce most favorably for Orlando. 4 picks seems like quite a bit, however take into account that their future picks weren’t going to be extremely valued in commerce talks due to the presumption that the group will likely be good — Wagner is 23, and Banchero is 22.
Thus, the sixteenth choose in 2025 and the advanced potential Phoenix swap in 2026 had been their most beneficial property, and the primary of these was about to die on the vine. In the meantime, the group is about to get costly and has expectations that include that. If the time to push its chips in and make a transfer wasn’t proper now, it was definitely now-adjacent. The Magic didn’t want so as to add extra developmental gamers within the subsequent two drafts.
Bane, who turns 27 this month, can be a a lot better timeline slot in Orlando than among the different commerce prospects on the market. Plus, the truth that he’s a guard means he doesn’t mess with the Wagner-Banchero ahead lineup.
Lastly, the opposite facet we will’t ignore is the state of the Japanese Convention. With accidents to Jayson Tatum and Damian Lillard, the East appears vast open for 2025-26. Orlando must be trying on the Indiana Pacers and considering, “Why not us?” Even the most important skeptic of the value the Magic paid has to acknowledge that this roster, at worst, must be one of many 4 finest within the East subsequent season.
That takes us to the flip aspect of this commerce: If Bane is so good, why was Memphis prepared to maneuver on from him?
First issues first: The Grizzlies aren’t tanking or tearing issues down or something near that. Actually, they theoretically are in simply as a lot of a win-now mode because the Magic. They only modified coaches as a result of they “solely” gained 48 video games and have two All-Stars of their mid-20s in Morant and Jackson.
Agreeing to this deal needed to harm somewhat. A homegrown improvement mission after the Grizzlies stole him with the thirtieth choose within the 2020 draft, Bane was the most effective shooter on a roster that principally lacked taking pictures and a tireless employee with unimpeachable character.
And but … once I talked to different executives in regards to the Grizzlies for this story in April, Bane’s contract was seen extra as an issue than a constructive. A non-All-Star on a near-max deal, he can’t match into each wage construction and can push most good groups into the tax aprons, as he’ll in Orlando.
This commerce provides Memphis a reset of types. The Grizzlies get a short-term substitute within the 3-and-D position in Caldwell-Pope and, in the long run, a clearer pathway for Jaylen Wells to play taking pictures guard, the place Memphis prefers him. The Grizzlies will get a possible swing within the draft at No. 16 after their choose went out within the Marcus Good wage dump and a giant dollop of future draft capital.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will fill the perimeter emptiness left by Desmond Bane in Memphis. (Dale Zanine / Imagn Photographs)
That final half is maybe an important ingredient of that story, as I don’t assume the Grizzlies made this commerce as a result of they had been fired up in regards to the 2030 draft. Memphis made this deal to get the property and cap flexibility to make different offers; scuttlebutt already has the Grizzlies making calls about a couple of targets.
Within the quick time period, the Grizzlies are possible to make use of cap house to renegotiate and prolong Jackson’s contract — this deal was cap-neutral* in that respect — after which use their room exception for frontcourt assist.
(*The commerce decreased Memphis’ obtainable cap room by $2.2 million, for the second. Memphis has $4.5 million in room, together with Santi Aldama’s $11.88 million cap maintain. The magic quantity the Grizzlies try to get to is probably going at or close to $13 million, which might permit them to renegotiate and prolong Jackson with a four-year max at 30 p.c of the cap. They will hit that quantity by buying and selling John Konchar and shifting down from the sixteenth choose to the final couple of spots within the first spherical, or by buying and selling Konchar and Jay Huff to maneuver down only some spots.)
The Grizzlies can’t combination the salaries of Anthony or Caldwell-Pope till late in the summertime, however Anthony particularly may very well be concerned in offers instantly given his de facto expiring contract. (He has a $13.1 million group possibility for 2026-27.)
As an illustration, it’s fairly potential that the Grizzlies make small wage strikes that permit them use cap house on the Jackson extension, then flip round in July and use Anthony’s contract and a number of of the longer term picks to take a refund. Even after they prolong Jackson, pay Aldama and use the projected $8.8 million room exception, they’ll have not less than $15 million in float under the projected tax line.
Anthony could be traded for as much as $20.6 million in returning wage, which might put him in vary for gamers reminiscent of P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford, Deni Avdija, Keegan Murray, Cam Johnson, Jakob Poeltl and Isaiah Stewart, to call a couple of potentialities from a fast trawling session by the league’s cap sheets. Anthony may be utilized in a sign-and-trade for a participant who made as much as that quantity, reminiscent of Naz Reid or Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
Large image, right here’s the vital takeaway: The Magic had been OK overpaying for Bane in uncooked phrases as a result of they felt the match was one of many final items of their build-a-contender puzzle. The Grizzlies, regardless of their current success, felt the other and took a deal that appeared too good a worth to go up.
Lastly, get your popcorn: Memphis has maximized its obtainable property — the Grizzlies have 10 firsts and three swaps of their warfare chest — for the strikes that can inevitably comply with because it retools the supporting solid round Morant and Jackson; starting-caliber small forwards and facilities possible high the buying record. Search for Orlando to remain energetic, too, taking part in small ball round its instantly outlined core. It’s an effective way to kick off transaction season as a result of it units the desk for extra offers to come back.
(High picture of Desmond Bane and Franz Wagner: Justin Ford / Getty Photographs)
