The Orlando Magic and the Memphis Grizzlies opened the floodgates on the NBA offseason with a blockbuster trade on Sunday, sending Desmond Bane to the Magic for a package that includes four first-round picks. The deal came out of nowhere, including for Bane, who was shocked to be dealt.

Incredibly, this isn't the first time that the two teams have worked on a trade involving a star player. The Grizzlies have previously made calls about Magic wing Franz Wagner in an attempt to solidify their core around Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ja Morant, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.

“Memphis itself has spent much of the past few seasons looking to complete a similar trade in the reverse, fueled by future draft picks to place a trusty fourth high-level player beside Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Bane,” Fischer wrote. “The Grizzlies — from Mikal Bridges to OG Anunoby to Orlando's own Franz Wagner — have made several aggressive trade pursuits of their own laden with draft capital in recent years, league sources say. Memphis finally ended up parting with a couple first-round picks to acquire Marcus Smart from Boston during the 2023 offseason and then wound up trading Smart to Washington halfway through his second season in town.”

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Wagner would have been a great fit in Memphis alongside that core, but the Magic clearly value his skillset and wanted to keep him around. Now, it is Orlando making a big swing for a star player to play with its dynamic duo of Wagner and Paolo Banchero.

Bane is a great fit in Orlando and fills a huge need for the team. He is a perimeter scorer who can shoot from distance both off the catch and on the move while being able to initiate some offense.

With Wagner's versatility and Banchero's dominance on the interior, Bane should slot in very nicely into the Orlando starting lineup. He gives the Magic some different options as a scorer and should instantly make one of the worst offenses in the NBA much, much better. While the price tag to get him was very steep, the Magic clearly feel like he can take them over the hump in the Eastern Conference.