The Memphis Grizzlies had a fairly rocky 2022-23 campaign, but one constant for them throughout their strange year was Desmond Bane. Bane continued his growth into one of the more underrated combo guards in the entire NBA.

But that hasn't been lost on the Grizzlies, who have opted to hand Bane a massive 5-year, $207 million max contract extension to secure his long-term future with the team, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Desmond Bane has become a key piece of the Grizzlies success

Picked up in a draft day trade with the Boston Celtics, Bane quickly became a crucial piece of the Grizzlies success, despite entering the league with lowered expectations as the 30th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Bane had a role off the bench as a rookie for Memphis, before breaking out in a big way during his sophomore campaign, in which he went from averaging 9.2 points per game to 18.2 points per game.

Bane continued to improve during this past season, setting career-highs in points per game (21.5), rebounds per game (5), assists per game (4.4) and field goal percentage (47.9 percent). With all the drama surrounding the Grizzlies currently, it is extremely helpful to have a stud like Bane holding down the fort with his consistent play.

Grizzlies need Desmond Bane to continue to grow into a leader

Memphis is quite a chaotic team, and Bane certainly plays his own small role in their confident demeanor. However, it's clear after this season that things need to change for the Grizzlies, and while he's still young, Bane can be a guy leading that change.

With this extension in place, Memphis is clearly counting on Bane to step up, and he will look to continue to grow into a star with the Grizzlies over the next few years.

Superstar point guard Ja Morant has been suspended for the first 25 games of the 2023-24 season, so Bane figures to serve as the lead contributor for Memphis entering the new year.