The Memphis Grizzlies were the first team to make a shocking trade this offseason when they agreed to send Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony (who just agreed to a buyout), and a haul of draft picks. Bane was a key piece for the Grizzlies, and they want to contend, but they traded away one of their three best players for more financial flexibility.
No one saw the deal coming, but they did get a lot of draft capital to be able to make future moves. They sent some of those to the Portland Trail Blazers in order to come away with Cedric Coward in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Memphis Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane
Mar 31, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane (22) reacts after a foul call during the third quarter against the Boston Celtics at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
Grizzlies star Ja Morant is in Las Vegas for the NBA Summer League, and Memphis News writer Damicheal Cole was able to ask Morant about his feelings on the trade. As expected, he was among those who were caught off guard by the deal.
"I was shocked, personally," Morant told Cole. "I got the message from Des. To see it all over the internet, I thought the (expletive) was fake, honestly.
"It's best for both sides. Des is going to a very talented Orlando team. I feel like he's the piece that they've been missing."
The Grizzlies have been able to reload their roster even with the Bane trade. They believe Kentavious Caldwell-Pope can bounce back to his Denver Nuggets form and bring championship experience to a team trying to win one. The Bane trade opened up the salary space to sign Jaren Jackson Jr. to a long-term deal, and they brought in Ty Jerome in free agency.
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