The Memphis Grizzlies are trading Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic in exchange for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony and several draft picks, ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported.
In addition to Caldwell-Pope and Anthony, the Grizzlies will receive four unprotected first-round picks and one first-round pick swap. Memphis will get the No. 16 selection in the 2025 NBA Draft, a 2026 first-rounder (which originally belonged to the Phoenix Suns) and unprotected first-round picks in 2028 and 2030. The pick swap is for 2029 and will be lightly protected.
The Magic officially confirmed the trade on Sunday afternoon.
“Over his five years in the NBA, Desmond has distinguished himself as one of the elite guards in our league, and we look forward to his shooting, IQ and wide-ranging skill set in helping our team take a step forward,” Orlando president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said in a statement.
“Desmond’s character is held in high regard across the league and we believe he will fit seamlessly with our existing players both on and off the court.”
The Magic now have a new-look roster to go with their new uniforms for next season. Orlando finished 41-41 last season, which put them seventh in the standings and in the four-team play-in tournament. With this deal, the Magic bolster their chances to make an upward move in an Eastern Conference that will have some uncertainty next season.
The Boston Celtics will likely be diminished with Jayson Tatum’s torn Achilles injury along with whatever moves the team might make to maneuver the salary cap. The Milwaukee Bucks may trade Giannis Antetokounmpo, but will be without Damian Lillard for nearly all of next season (also due to an Achilles tear) and face payroll concerns with pending free agents Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis.
Bane, who turns 26 on June 25, has averaged 17.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.8 assists while shooting 41% on 3-pointers during his NBA career.
The five-year veteran provides a third scorer to join Paolo Banchero (25.9 ppg) and Franz Wagner (24.2 ppg), both of whom missed significant time with oblique injuries. Jalen Suggs (16.2 ppg) also missed the final three months of the season with a left knee injury.
Perhaps more importantly, Bane is signed for another four seasons with the five-year, $207 million extension he signed before the 2023-24 campaign. The Magic potentially have a core in place for multiple seasons.
Bane appears to be happy about the trade, judging from his post on social media. At the very least, he’s excited about the Florida weather.
Caldwell-Pope, 32, moves to the sixth team of his 12-year NBA career. Joining the Magic as a free agent last season, he scored 8.7 points per game and shot 34.2% on 3s. He’s won NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets. Anthony, 25, was Orlando’s 2020 first-round pick (No. 15 overall) and averaged 9.8 points per game, shooting 35% from long range.
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