In the first major NBA trade of the summer, the Orlando Magic made an all-in move to acquire Desmond Bane from the Memphis Grizzlies. In return for the career 41% three-point shooter, Orlando sent back Cole Anthony, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and four first-round picks.
Bane averaged 19.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.2 steals in 69 regular season games. He will be a key addition to a Magic team that had the third-lowest points per game in the league.
“I’m super excited to be here,” Bane said. “All the guys, they’ve reached out and hit me up. The front office, the support staff – everybody has been real, real supportive. You can tell there’s an excitement in the air as well as expectations. Expectations are healthy. I feel like we have the roster to be able to do some really special things.”
Orlando made the playoffs as the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference, losing in the first round to the Boston Celtics. Bane joins a team featuring Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Jalen Suggs.
Bane’s Initial Thoughts On Joining The Magic
In his first time speaking to the media since the trade, Bane praised Orlando’s facilities compared to those in Memphis.
“It’s different, bro,” Bane said. “The one in Memphis, we didn’t even have one window. We joked around and called it ‘The Dungeon.’ This is a breath of fresh air. I mean, you can literally step outside and get a breath of fresh air and eat on the patio.”
The shooting guard also spoke about his fit on the Magic. For an Orlando team that had the lowest three-point shooting percentage, Bane is one of the most efficient shooters in the NBA. He is one of three players to make at least 800 three-pointers on at least 40% shooting since he entered the league in 2020.
“It’s a new era. Make some new memories and help push this thing forward back to the success they had in the past,” Bane said. “If you just look at our roster and our team, we stack right up there with anybody.”
Defending His Old Team
Despite his comments on their practice facility, Bane came to Memphis’ defense after ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith criticized the city for being too dangerous for players to want to play there.
“I think all that is just false …Once you get to Memphis and you learn Memphis and you know Memphis, there’s a lot of love in that city,” Bane said on a recent podcast appearance. “Anybody that goes there will be happy with what they got going on, for sure.”
Bane leaves a Grizzlies team that features Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. While the trio led Memphis to multiple 50-win seasons, they only won just one playoff series. They fired head coach Taylor Jenkins at the tail end of the regular season and are now without their third-leading scorer.
Bane is currently on a five-year $179 million deal, which he signed in the summer of 2023. He is under contract through the end of the 2028-29 season.
Orlando Magic Get High Praise From $197 Million Shooter