In a surprising mid-June trade, the Orlando Magic just tried to overshadow the NBA Finals (the league has to love that!) by pulling off a blockbuster Sunday, acquiring shooting guard Desmond Bane from the Memphis Grizzlies.
The deal is as all-in as it can get for the Magic, with Memphis receiving shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Orlando’s primary free-agent signing last summer; point guard Cole Anthony; four first-round picks and a first-round pick swap.
Advertisement
The relinquished picks include this season’s 16th overall selection, a 2026 pick via Phoenix, Orlando’s own unprotected picks in 2028 and 2030, and a lightly protected swap in 2029.
The Magic are in dire need of Desmond Bane’s shooting ability. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)
(Justin Ford via Getty Images)
This marks a huge swing for Orlando, which has been in overwhelming need of reliable guard play for years. The acquisition of Bane, one of the best shooters in the NBA, is made with the idea of opening the floor for Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, signaling the Magic are in it to win it — and as soon as possible.
For Memphis, this is a massive haul for a team trying to figure itself out. This allows the Grizzlies to reset and figure out their next move.
Advertisement
Could that next move be a Ja Morant trade? After pivoting off Bane, it’s impossible to close the door on a full-on rebuild. While nothing is set in stone, the trio of Bane, Morant and center Jaren Jackson Jr. topped out with a second-round playoff appearance in 2022 and leadership could be looking for an even bigger overhaul.
For now though, let’s keep the focus on the Magic, who just sent a strong signal to the rest of the league. They’re entering this summer as buyers — aggressively so — to accelerate their championship timeline. And it makes sense with what they are seeing from Indiana in the Finals and with a former contender in Boston seemingly out of the mix for the foreseeable future.
It’s a good sign to send because they shouldn’t be done.
Advertisement
While Bane does fix a ton of their guard problems, the Magic could still use an additional playmaker, and they certainly need to figure out their center rotation, which currently appears shallow and frankly ineffective with just Wendell Carter and Goga Bitadze healthy.
But getting Bane, who has averaged 20.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5.4 assists over the past two seasons, is a strong first move.
For Orlando to be able to use Caldwell-Pope’s contract in the deal has to be considered a major boon for the franchise. They gave Caldwell-Pope $66 million over three years last summer, and he responded by looking immediately overpaid and past his prime, shooting 43.9% from the floor and 34.2% from 3. To be able to use his salary slot is a positive thing for the Magic, even if one of the relinquished draft picks should probably be viewed as additional compensation for Memphis to take on Caldwell-Pope’s salary.
Advertisement
The price Orlando ultimately paid was steep — and time will tell if it proves too steep — but there’s always a premium you have to pay when you go from flirting with the postseason to wanting to marry it.
And who knows? Perhaps this move will do the trick. Bane, after all, is a 3-point shooter with seemingly limitless range and offers the on-ball capabilities for which the organization has been seeking.
Orlando now has a clear four-man core of Banchero, Wagner, Bane and guard Jalen Suggs, which should offer quality two-way production, especially if Wagner gets a handle on his own 3-point shot before next season. (Wagner being a 32.2% career 3-pointer shooter is an issue for another day.)
This offseason just started off with a bang, so we could be looking at a wild trade market this summer.
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
Leonardo Jardim mostra orgulho após Ancelotti convocar Kaio Jorge, do Cruzeiro: “Eu fico muito satisfeito por participar”
Leonardo Jardim dá entrevista coletiva. (Foto: Gustavo Aleixo/Cruzeiro)O Cruzeiro venceu, nesta quarta-feira (27), o primeiro clássico contra o Atlético-MG, nas quartas de final da Copa do Brasil. Autor de um dos gols, o artilheiro Kaio Jorge entrou na lista de convocação da Seleção Brasileira pela primeira vez esta semana. Portanto, Leonardo Jardim dedicou parte da entrevista coletiva na Arena MRV para falar sobre a conquista do seu atacante. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADELeonardo Jardim celebra convocação de Kaio JorgePrimeiro, o técnico Leonardo Jardim relembrou que através do seu trabalho, muitos atletas já foram para suas seleções. Assim, ele se posiciona como um treinador capaz de fazer seus jogadores darem esse salto importante na carreira. O português mostrou grande orgulho por Ancelotti chamar Kaio Jorge e Fabrício Bruno para a data-FIFA.“Na minha vida, já coloquei muitos jogadores nas seleções, na seleção portuguesa, francesa, croata, […]
Lionel Messi returns from injury, scores twice to lift Inter Miami to Leagues Cup final
Lionel Messi made it back onto the field at the perfect time.The Argentinian star, with some late-match heroics, lifted Inter Miami to the Leagues Cup final with a massive win over Orlando City on Wednesday night after missing a good chunk of the month with a leg injury. Messi scored twice in the final 15 minutes of the match to help power Miami to a 3-1 win over Orlando in their leg of the tournament’s semifinals at Chase Stadium in south Florida.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe franchise will now take on either the LA Galaxy or the Seattle Sounders in the championship match on Sunday.Messi, after Orlando took a 1-0 lead right before halftime with a goal from Marco Pasalic, leveled the game up on a soft penalty kick in the 77th minute.Then just 11 minutes later, Messi did it again. He caught a […]
US Open: Daniil Medvedev fined $42.5K for meltdown, racket smash in wild loss to Benjamin Bonzi
The US Open fined Daniil Medvedev $42,500 on Wednesday after his meltdown and racket smash during his opening-round loss in New York on Sunday.Medvedev was fined $30,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct during his loss to Benjamin Bonzi in the first round, and then hit with another $12,500 for racket abuse after he absolutely destroyed his racket following the loss.Medvedev ended up earning $110,000 for making it into the opening round of the tournament. The fine ended up taking more than a third of that away from him.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBonzi was set to serve for the match Sunday night when a photographer actually walked out onto the court, completely disrupting the match. That led to a nearly seven-minute break, during which Medvedev walked up to the official and started screaming at him. The official granted Bonzi another serve due to the error.“He wants to […]
Corinthians vence Athletico por 1 a 0 na Copa do Brasil e torcedores exaltam gol de Gui Negão
Gui Negão comemora gol pelo Corinthians. (Foto: Ricardo Moreira/Getty Images)Nesta quarta-feira (27), o Corinthians venceu o Athletico por 1 a 0, na Ligga Arena, pela ida das quartas de final da Copa do Brasil. O gol decisivo, que dá vantagem ao Timão, saiu dos pés de Gui Negão, no segundo tempo. Assim, a torcida corintiana exaltou o jovem de 18 anos, cria da base alvinegra. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADECom essa vitória por 1 a 0, o Corinthians leva vantagem para a Neo Química Arena, daqui a duas semanas, no dia 10 de setembro. Mas antes, o Timão tem clássico contra o Palmeiras, pelo Brasileirão, também dentro do seu estádio. Assim, para avançar às semifinais da Copa do Brasil, apenas um empate na partida de volta já basta.Gui Negão decide duelo na Ligga ArenaSem Yuri Alberto, se recuperando de cirurgia, coube a Gui […]
How long will the Saints’ rebuild last? It might not be a quick one
When the New Orleans Saints cut 2023 second-round pick Isaiah Foskey, a defensive lineman who had zero sacks in two seasons, it wasn't great. But teams cut high draft picks, even after two seasons.The bad part was it's a trend of mismanagement for New Orleans. A constant stream of salary-cap mismanagement, bad signings, regrettable picks and lopsided trades have put the Saints in a miserable situation.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season]A team's 2023 NFL Draft class should be a big part of the nucleus of its team in 2025. For the Saints, first-round pick defensive tackle Bryan Bresee is the only player from that class expected to have a significant role this season. Maybe two if running back Kendre Miller, who did have a promising preseason after two disappointing seasons, finally pays off. […]
Thiago Viana, técnico do São Paulo, aponta: “Não está definido e não está perdido”
Técnico do São Paulo prega calma no duelo de volta contra o Corinthians (Rebeca Reis/Staff Images Woman/CBF)O São Paulo segue se preparando para o confronto de volta da semifinal do Brasileirão Feminino contra o Corinthians. Então, as Soberanas têm uma dura missão pela frente no próximo domingo (31), tendo que reverter uma diferença de dois gols. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADEPorém, essa uma missão inédita para o São Paulo, já que nunca venceu o Corinthians por três gols fora de casa. Sendo assim, as Soberanas vão ter que fazer uma atuação impecável para poder avançar para mais uma final de Brasileirão Feminino.Thiago Viana, técnico do São Paulo, diz que o duelo continua em abertoO treinador das Soberanas falou sobre diversos assuntos após a partida do último domingo (24). Então, destacou a importante vantagem construída pelo Corinthians na partida. Porém, apontou que da mesma […]
Related
Leonardo Jardim mostra orgulho após Ancelotti convocar Kaio Jorge, do Cruzeiro: “Eu fico muito satisfeito por participar”
Leonardo Jardim dá entrevista coletiva. (Foto: Gustavo Aleixo/Cruzeiro)O Cruzeiro venceu, nesta quarta-feira (27), o primeiro clássico contra o Atlético-MG, nas quartas de final da Copa do Brasil. Autor de um dos gols, o artilheiro Kaio Jorge entrou na lista de convocação da Seleção Brasileira pela primeira vez esta semana. Portanto, Leonardo Jardim dedicou parte da entrevista coletiva na Arena MRV para falar sobre a conquista do seu atacante. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADELeonardo Jardim celebra convocação de Kaio JorgePrimeiro, o técnico Leonardo Jardim relembrou que através do seu trabalho, muitos atletas já foram para suas seleções. Assim, ele se posiciona como um treinador capaz de fazer seus jogadores darem esse salto importante na carreira. O português mostrou grande orgulho por Ancelotti chamar Kaio Jorge e Fabrício Bruno para a data-FIFA.“Na minha vida, já coloquei muitos jogadores nas seleções, na seleção portuguesa, francesa, croata, […]
Lionel Messi returns from injury, scores twice to lift Inter Miami to Leagues Cup final
Lionel Messi made it back onto the field at the perfect time.The Argentinian star, with some late-match heroics, lifted Inter Miami to the Leagues Cup final with a massive win over Orlando City on Wednesday night after missing a good chunk of the month with a leg injury. Messi scored twice in the final 15 minutes of the match to help power Miami to a 3-1 win over Orlando in their leg of the tournament’s semifinals at Chase Stadium in south Florida.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe franchise will now take on either the LA Galaxy or the Seattle Sounders in the championship match on Sunday.Messi, after Orlando took a 1-0 lead right before halftime with a goal from Marco Pasalic, leveled the game up on a soft penalty kick in the 77th minute.Then just 11 minutes later, Messi did it again. He caught a […]
US Open: Daniil Medvedev fined $42.5K for meltdown, racket smash in wild loss to Benjamin Bonzi
The US Open fined Daniil Medvedev $42,500 on Wednesday after his meltdown and racket smash during his opening-round loss in New York on Sunday.Medvedev was fined $30,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct during his loss to Benjamin Bonzi in the first round, and then hit with another $12,500 for racket abuse after he absolutely destroyed his racket following the loss.Medvedev ended up earning $110,000 for making it into the opening round of the tournament. The fine ended up taking more than a third of that away from him.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBonzi was set to serve for the match Sunday night when a photographer actually walked out onto the court, completely disrupting the match. That led to a nearly seven-minute break, during which Medvedev walked up to the official and started screaming at him. The official granted Bonzi another serve due to the error.“He wants to […]
Corinthians vence Athletico por 1 a 0 na Copa do Brasil e torcedores exaltam gol de Gui Negão
Gui Negão comemora gol pelo Corinthians. (Foto: Ricardo Moreira/Getty Images)Nesta quarta-feira (27), o Corinthians venceu o Athletico por 1 a 0, na Ligga Arena, pela ida das quartas de final da Copa do Brasil. O gol decisivo, que dá vantagem ao Timão, saiu dos pés de Gui Negão, no segundo tempo. Assim, a torcida corintiana exaltou o jovem de 18 anos, cria da base alvinegra. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADECom essa vitória por 1 a 0, o Corinthians leva vantagem para a Neo Química Arena, daqui a duas semanas, no dia 10 de setembro. Mas antes, o Timão tem clássico contra o Palmeiras, pelo Brasileirão, também dentro do seu estádio. Assim, para avançar às semifinais da Copa do Brasil, apenas um empate na partida de volta já basta.Gui Negão decide duelo na Ligga ArenaSem Yuri Alberto, se recuperando de cirurgia, coube a Gui […]
How long will the Saints’ rebuild last? It might not be a quick one
When the New Orleans Saints cut 2023 second-round pick Isaiah Foskey, a defensive lineman who had zero sacks in two seasons, it wasn't great. But teams cut high draft picks, even after two seasons.The bad part was it's a trend of mismanagement for New Orleans. A constant stream of salary-cap mismanagement, bad signings, regrettable picks and lopsided trades have put the Saints in a miserable situation.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season]A team's 2023 NFL Draft class should be a big part of the nucleus of its team in 2025. For the Saints, first-round pick defensive tackle Bryan Bresee is the only player from that class expected to have a significant role this season. Maybe two if running back Kendre Miller, who did have a promising preseason after two disappointing seasons, finally pays off. […]
Thiago Viana, técnico do São Paulo, aponta: “Não está definido e não está perdido”
Técnico do São Paulo prega calma no duelo de volta contra o Corinthians (Rebeca Reis/Staff Images Woman/CBF)O São Paulo segue se preparando para o confronto de volta da semifinal do Brasileirão Feminino contra o Corinthians. Então, as Soberanas têm uma dura missão pela frente no próximo domingo (31), tendo que reverter uma diferença de dois gols. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADEPorém, essa uma missão inédita para o São Paulo, já que nunca venceu o Corinthians por três gols fora de casa. Sendo assim, as Soberanas vão ter que fazer uma atuação impecável para poder avançar para mais uma final de Brasileirão Feminino.Thiago Viana, técnico do São Paulo, diz que o duelo continua em abertoO treinador das Soberanas falou sobre diversos assuntos após a partida do último domingo (24). Então, destacou a importante vantagem construída pelo Corinthians na partida. Porém, apontou que da mesma […]
Be the first to leave a comment