Why the Magic Paid Big for Desmond Bane and Why the Grizzlies Didn’t Mind

The Orlando Magic weren’t the only team with eyes on Desmond Bane. They were just the most determined.

Before the Grizzlies struck Sunday’s blockbuster deal to send Bane to Orlando, several teams made inquiries, league sources told ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. But no one pushed harder than the Magic, who are prioritizing outside shooting and postseason progress after back-to-back first-round exits.

Orlando, which finished dead last in three-point percentage last season (31.7%), identified Bane as its ideal fix. He’s a career 41% shooter from deep with the size and versatility to complement Jalen Suggs in the backcourt.

“He’ll be a good fit,” an NBA assistant coach told ESPN. “There’s not a lot of guys that you would want to grab as your third option that can do it to the level that he can do it.”

Still, the price tag turned heads.

The Magic sent Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, and a haul of draft capital to Memphis — four first-rounders, a 2029 pick swap, and this year’s No. 16 overall pick. It’s a heavy package for a player some scouts believe is more high-level role player than star, even if he averaged 21.4 points and shot nearly 40% from three last season.

Orlando also assumes the remainder of Bane’s five-year, $197 million extension (four years and $163 million left), a contract some in Memphis were quietly ready to move off of.

“They gave him that deal before the second apron rules kicked in,” one scout said. “Really good guy, good player, but [I] never thought of him as a max guy.”

With Paolo Banchero’s max extension looming and Franz Wagner also due for a raise in the near future, the Magic are clearly betting big, both in terms of payroll and expectations. But sources say they believe Orlando’s front office sees a clear window forming in the East amid uncertainty in Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Miami, and Boston beyond its current core.

“For them, they got to give themselves a chance,” one executive told ESPN. “They’ve gone to the playoffs two years in a row and had a first-round exit, and they look around and they’ve got a young group that’s trying to figure out how to take the next step.”

As for the Grizzlies, Sunday’s deal marked a clear pivot after their disappointing sweep at the hands of Oklahoma City. General manager Zach Kleiman had promised change, and this was it.

Still, Memphis isn’t tearing it all down. Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. are staying put, sources said, and more moves are expected as the Grizzlies position themselves for a renegotiation and extension with Jackson ahead of 2026 free agency.

Memphis is also hopeful about its ability to reshape the roster on the fly, particularly under new head coach Tuomas Iisalo, who plans to install a more uptempo system.

Internally, there’s confidence in Jaylen Wells — a second-round pick turned Rookie of the Year finalist — as a long-term starter. The Grizzlies also view the 2026 pick in the Bane deal (they’ll receive the lesser of the Phoenix Suns or Washington Wizards) as a potential gem, with both teams trending toward the lottery.

For now, the message from Memphis is that this isn’t a rebuild — it’s a recalibration. For Orlando, it’s something closer to an all-in moment.

And with the draft less than two weeks away, the rest of the league might not be far behind.