The first major blockbuster of the offseason…during the NBA Finals?? Yeah, that is exactly what happened when the Memphis Grizzlies shockingly shipped off Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic.
Memphis received Cole Anthony, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, four unprotected first round picks and a pick swap for Bane. The blockbuster keeps with the theme in Memphis this season: expect the unexpected.
They fired their head coach Taylor Jenkins with just weeks left in the regular season and now the Bane move. As for Orlando, it was no secret that they needed more offense to surround their star duo of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner and Bane fills that void.
The Magic paid a steep price for Desmond Bane, but had no choice
The East is going to be wide open for years to come and as currently constructed, Orlando was not going to be a serious player. They were at the bottom of the league in almost every major offensive category: points per game, field-goal percentage, three-point percentage, three-point makes, and offensive rating.
Yeah, Orlando could have banked on internal growth with players like Anthony Black and hoped for a bounceback from Suggs, but standing pat when the East is up for grabs would have been malpractice. The Magic desperately needed more firepower.
Bane may not be the true point guard that Orlando is lacking, but he fills their scoring and shooting needs in a big way. He is coming off a season where he averaged 19 points per game on 48 percent shooting and 39 percent from three-point range. He also shot 41 percent on above the break threes. He showed strides as a playmaker as well, averaging five assists per game.
Bane is also a career 41 percent shooter from three and having that level of spacing next to Banchero and Wagner will make their lives much easier.
Bane is also a solid enough defender to fit in with the Magic’s defensive identity. He is not elite on that end of the floor, but he is good enough when engaged on that end. Sliding him next to an elite defensive stopper like Jalen Suggs instead of a subpar defender like Ja Morant will make Bane’s life easier on that end of the floor.
Bane fills Orlando's biggest needs and sets them up for contention
The Magic may have given up four first round picks for Bane, but for a guy who has averaged at least 18 PPG over the last four seasons and is one of three players since 2021 with 800 threes made on 40 percent from downtown, the move may be well worth it.
Orlando is set up to contend and those four first round picks would have trouble contributing to a team with win-now pieces and a talented young core. The Magic are contending, so those firsts do not hurt.
Additionally, they traded away the terrible contract of Caldwell-Pope, who is coming off the worst year of his career. Orlando will miss his leadership, but his on-court production was subpar, to say the least. The loss of fan-favorite Cole Anthony stings as well, but in the name of winning, sacrifices have to be made.
The Magic now have a versatile starting five of Suggs-Bane-Wagner-Banchero-Carter and still have a mix of young guys and veterans off the bench. They are set up to make noise in the East not only next year, but for the coming years as well.