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The Memphis Grizzlies will look a bit different next season following the trade of Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic, which Ja Morant barely could believe.
Bane, the last pick of the first round in the 2020 draft, had spent the first five seasons of his career in Memphis, playing alongside Morant as the Grizzlies' formidable young backcourt. However, the Grizzlies have failed to break through in the Western Conference — they have won just one playoff series since Bane arrived — and the team faced mounting costs with a contract extension with Jaren Jackson Jr. looming.
As a result, Memphis made the decision to break up the Morant-Bane duo this offseason by trading the latter to Orlando in exchange for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony (who has agreed to a buyout), and four first-round draft picks. While the trade package was seen by some as an overpay by the Magic, as well as an admission by the Grizzlies of their shortcomings, Morant said the deal was a good one, even if it was stunning.
“I was shocked, personally,” Morant said, via Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. “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.”
Bane was a valuable piece to the Grizzlies over the past five years; after his rookie season, in which he mostly came off the bench, Bane became a fixture in the Memphis starting lineup and one of its best scorers. He averaged a career-high 23.7 points in 2023-24, which came along with 5.5 assists and 4.4 rebounds.
Particularly, Bane complemented the downhill driving style of Morant as a reliable 3-point threat. Bane, one of the best free-throw shooters in the league as well, is a career 41.0% 3-point shooter, although his numbers have been below 40.0% in each of the last two seasons. Still, Bane should be a good fit with the Magic, whose long, rangy wings need trustworthy shooters around them.
As for the Grizzlies, their success will almost certainly come down to the health and behavior of Morant, who has played 62 combined games over the past two years, including the three playoff games he suited up for before suffering a hip contusion that forced him to miss the fourth and final game of their first-round series vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Morant has dealt with several injuries over the past few seasons — he underwent a season-ending shoulder surgery in January 2024 — and has been away from the team more than once due to the display of firearms on social media.
