Boston Celtics' East rival makes aggressive Desmond Bane trade (report)
The Magic made the first big move of the offseason as they landed Desmond Bane in a trade with the Grizzlies. But the price is steep as it's an aggressive move. While the Magic land a talented player in Bane, per ESPN's Shams Charania, they sent the Grizzlies four unprotected first-round picks, a first-round pick swap, along with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Cole Anthony.
That's naturally a lot to give up for Bane, who spent the first five seasons of his career in Memphis. But the Magic are looking to take the next step toward being a playoff contender, so they landed the sharpshooting guard. Bane, 26, averaged 19.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 69 games last season.
Advertisement
Immediately, the Magic now pair the 6-foot-5 Bane with their young wing duo of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. Bane should fit right in considering he's also a career 41.0% 3-point shooter and the Magic needed someone who could stretch the floor. Bane isn't old by any means as he enters the prime of his career, so he fits the timeline well with Orlando's core.
The Magic have been an up-and-coming team in the East, and with this trade, they're looking more dangerous going into next season. While they endured injuries this season, they finished 41-41 and got the No. 7 seed in the playoffs. Orlando has made the playoffs the past two seasons, falling in the first round both times.
While the Magic had one of the best defenses in the league, consistent offense was an issue. Bane's inclusion should fit defensively while also giving the Magic a valuable floor-spacer. The East is looking wide open going into next season with the Celtics taking a step back, so it's no surprise to see teams making significant swings.
The Grizzlies are in an interesting spot. They looked like they were going to take some steps toward being a contender themselves over the past few seasons. Plus, they went 48-34 this past season. But instead of investing further into their core of Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ja Morant, they elected to sell off a piece instead.
Advertisement
Now, considering the draft assets the Grizzlies just got from Orlando, that sets them up for any future moves they could make. Still, Memphis is in a place of limbo as it also fired coach Taylor Jenkins late in the regular season. For now, the Grizzlies-Magic trade goes down as the first big domino of the offseason.
More Celtics content
Read the original article on MassLive.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
Could the Nets trade for Grizzlies' Ja Morant after Desmond Bane deal?
Could the Nets trade for Grizzlies' Ja Morant after Desmond Bane deal? The Brooklyn Nets are in the middle of a 2025 NBA offseason in which they have a sizable amount of ammunition to make moves happen across the league. While Brooklyn seems content to let its current rebuild play out through the draft, they are also reportedly open to trading for stars like Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. What about Memphis Grizzlies star guard Ja Morant? "But more star trades are not expected. Sources told ESPN that the Grizzlies are not looking to deal either of their two remaining franchise cornerstones," ESPN's Tim Bontemps reported on Sunday concerning Morant and Grizzlies center Jaren Jackson Jr. After getting swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Oklahoma City Thunder, Memphis was considered one of the teams looking for change, especially after firing head coach Taylor Jenkins prior to the playoffs. "Memphis handing the team to coach Tuomas Lisalo -- who wants to play a fast-paced system with tons of pick-and-roll and 3-point shooting -- is designed to maximize what Morant can do," Bontemps continued. While Bontemps' report confirms that the Grizzlies intend to move forward with Morant as part of the core, ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported on Sunday (h/t to Bleacher Report's Zach Bachar) that teams will test that commitment. ESPN's Tim MacMahon said on "The Hoop Collective" podcast that Morant is still considered the face of the franchise for Memphis, but time will tell if the Grizzlies will feel that way for the long term. MacMahon said towards the end of the 2024-25 regular season that there was chatter about Morant being available this summer so for all anyone knows, Morant could still be had for the right price. Morant, 25, is coming off a 2024-25 season in which he averaged 23.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game while shooting 45.4% from the field and 30.9% from three-point land. While that is considered a down season based on what Morant did from 2021 to 2023, he still has the kind of ability that can raise the floor of a Nets team that will likely be in the lottery again. Morant has three years and nearly $127 million left on his current contract, but Morant could be the point guard of the future that Brooklyn has been looking for since Kyrie Irving was playing at Barclays Center. There is no indication of what the Grizzlies would want to let Morant go, but the Nets have plenty of cap space this summer along with nine tradeable first-round picks as of this writing.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Boston Celtics' East rival makes aggressive Desmond Bane trade (report)
The Magic made the first big move of the offseason as they landed Desmond Bane in a trade with the Grizzlies. But the price is steep as it's an aggressive move. While the Magic land a talented player in Bane, per ESPN's Shams Charania, they sent the Grizzlies four unprotected first-round picks, a first-round pick swap, along with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Cole Anthony. That's naturally a lot to give up for Bane, who spent the first five seasons of his career in Memphis. But the Magic are looking to take the next step toward being a playoff contender, so they landed the sharpshooting guard. Bane, 26, averaged 19.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 69 games last season. Advertisement Immediately, the Magic now pair the 6-foot-5 Bane with their young wing duo of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. Bane should fit right in considering he's also a career 41.0% 3-point shooter and the Magic needed someone who could stretch the floor. Bane isn't old by any means as he enters the prime of his career, so he fits the timeline well with Orlando's core. The Magic have been an up-and-coming team in the East, and with this trade, they're looking more dangerous going into next season. While they endured injuries this season, they finished 41-41 and got the No. 7 seed in the playoffs. Orlando has made the playoffs the past two seasons, falling in the first round both times. While the Magic had one of the best defenses in the league, consistent offense was an issue. Bane's inclusion should fit defensively while also giving the Magic a valuable floor-spacer. The East is looking wide open going into next season with the Celtics taking a step back, so it's no surprise to see teams making significant swings. The Grizzlies are in an interesting spot. They looked like they were going to take some steps toward being a contender themselves over the past few seasons. Plus, they went 48-34 this past season. But instead of investing further into their core of Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ja Morant, they elected to sell off a piece instead. Advertisement Now, considering the draft assets the Grizzlies just got from Orlando, that sets them up for any future moves they could make. Still, Memphis is in a place of limbo as it also fired coach Taylor Jenkins late in the regular season. For now, the Grizzlies-Magic trade goes down as the first big domino of the offseason. More Celtics content Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Wizards looking to trade former Boston Celtics guard (report)
Marcus Smart was expected to be a veteran leader on an up-and-coming Grizzlies squad, but his stint didn't end up working out in Memphis. So, at February's trade deadline, he was shipped to the rebuilding Wizards to finish out the season in what was effectively a salary dump. Smart could be on the move again this summer. Per NBA insider Matt Moore, the Wizards are looking to trade Smart to a contender, though there's been little interest thus far. That doesn't mean Washington can't eventually find a suitor as teams look for players after the draft and free agency. Advertisement Smart, 31, is in the final year of his contract, making $21.6 million for the 2025-26 season. He averaged 9.0 points, 2.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists this past season in 34 games (seven starts) between the Grizzlies and Wizards. Staying healthy has been the issue for Smart in recent seasons. But if a contender is looking for guard depth, Smart could be a formidable option. He doesn't stuff the stat sheet, but as Celtics fans know, he can elevate his game in the playoffs. Smart does have some unpredictability to his game, but when it comes to being an emotional leader, Boston fans embraced him during his time with the Celtics. Smart spent the first nine seasons of his career with the Celtics after being drafted sixth overall in 2014, making the playoffs every single year. There were impressive highs, including the 2022 NBA Finals run. But after the Celtics fell short to the Heat in the 2023 East Finals, the front office elected to go a different direction. Smart was included in the Kristaps Porzingis three-team trade with the Grizzlies and Wizards that also netted the Celtics draft assets. While the Grizzlies looked like a potential contender, they've taken step backs in recent seasons. Smart only played in 39 total games in Memphis in 1.5 seasons as he couldn't stay healthy. Advertisement It's been a minute since Smart has shown what he's able to do on an NBA court. There were some light flashes in Washington, but for a young, rebuilding team, the spotlight isn't as bright like during the Celtics' deep playoff runs. So the Wizards will look to potentially move Smart as the veteran guard will hope to build up his career again. More Celtics content Read the original article on MassLive.
