The Memphis Grizzlies and Orlando Magic have shocked the NBA world with the Desmond Bane trade. The Grizzlies have sent Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic in return for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, the 16th overall pick, three future 1st-round picks (2026, 2028, 2030), and a 2029 first-round pick swap. This deal is an absolute haul for the Grizzlies.
Memphis landed what I’d call a borderline superstar-level return for a player who’s never even sniffed an All-Star Game. That's no slight to Bane; he is a phenomenal player and one of the league's best three-point shooters, but I'm just shocked that Memphis was able to pull this off.
Executing a trade like this shows how elite their General Manager Zachary Kleiman is. It also points to a potential rebuild coming in Memphis. A move like this after a 49-win season is surprising, but if Memphis is entering a rebuild, they clearly have a guy whom they can trust to get max value for their players.
Looking at the return the Grizzlies got for Bane, many Pelicans fans likely wish Kleiman had been running their team at last year's trade deadline. That's because the Pelicans traded All-Star forward Brandon Ingram to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Bruce Brown, Kelly Olynyk, a 2026 top-four-protected first-round pick via the Pacers, and a 2031 second-round pick.
You could argue that because Ingram was dealing with injuries, only appeared in 18 games, and was on an expiring contract, his value could've been lower than Bane's. That being said, trading away a dynamic 6'8" scorer like Ingram, a former All-Star, and coming away with just one protected first-rounder is a clear mismanagement of assets by former President of Basketball Operations David Griffin.
With new management, fans can hope the days of getting fleeced are behind them
At the time of the Ingram deal, it wasn't seen as great value, but now, especially after Memphis got a treasure chest of picks for Bane, a player arguably less valuable than Ingram, it looks even worse.
But fans can hope that with Joe Dumars coming in to replace Griffin as the new President of Basketball Operations, he'll bring that old-school, tough, take-no-garbage approach to negotiations. Just look at his playing career: Dumars was part of the toughest NBA team of all time in the form of the late '80s and early '90s Detroit Pistons, known as the 'Bad Boys'.
Dumars is also profoundly connected to Louisiana basketball, as Joe was born and raised in the state. Dumars’ local connection should give fans hope; he isn’t just here to steady the ship, but rather here to elevate New Orleans basketball to heights never before reached