Desmond Bane, in context

The Memphis Grizzlies traded Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic on June 15, 2025, in exchange for four unprotected first-round picks in 2025 (Yang Hansen), 2026, 2028, and 2030, a first-round pick swap in 2027, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Cole Anthony. Desmond Bane has emerged this Saturday as one of the stories drawing attention in Philippines.

Key facts

• The Memphis Grizzlies traded Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic on June 15, 2025, in exchange for four unprotected first-round picks in 2025 (Yang Hansen), 2026, 2028, and 2030, a first-round pick swap in 2027, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Cole Anthony.
• In a significant move that has sent shockwaves through the NBA landscape, the Memphis Grizzlies traded guard Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic on June 15,.
• The Grizzlies traded Desmond Bane to Orlando last summer, and Bane is thriving with the playoff Magic.
• This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/grizzlies/onsi as The odds Memphis upgrades from Desmond Bane with Orlando's pick.
• Orlando's 2026 pick will be the 16th overall selection.

What we know

Going deeper, In a significant move that has sent shockwaves through the NBA landscape, the Memphis Grizzlies traded guard Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic on June 15,.

On the substance, the Grizzlies traded Desmond Bane to Orlando last summer, and Bane is thriving with the playoff Magic.

Beyond the headlines, this article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/grizzlies/onsi as The odds Memphis upgrades from Desmond Bane with Orlando's pick.

More precisely, Orlando's 2026 pick will be the 16th overall selection.

It is worth noting that Outside of his injury-riddled 2023-24 season and his rookie year, Bane has averaged a 41st-place finish in the NBA in Basketball Reference win shares.

By the numbers

At this stage, Bane is not quite at the All-Star level, but his top-10-percent standing suggests there are roughly six to eight top-50-caliber players in a typical draft class relative to the 3-5 All-Star mark.

On a related note, as good as Bane is, a five-year, $197 million deal for a third option is a steep price to pay.

Going deeper, Memphis received four unprotected first-round picks: the 2025 selection from Yang Hansen, along with the 2026, 2028, and 2030 picks.

On the substance, Additionally, the Grizzlies secured a first-round pick swap in 2027 and welcomed veteran shooters Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Cole Anthony into their lineup.

The wider context

On a related note, Bane, despite suffering a tough injury-riddled season in 2023-24, has demonstrated strong offensive capabilities, averaging high win shares throughout his career, particularly showcasing a peak performance with a career-best 7.4 win shares during the 2025-26 season.

Going deeper, With Bane’s hefty five-year, $197 million deal being a focal point, Memphis opted to capitalize on Orlando’s lucrative offer.

On the substance, here is a look at the odds of Memphis upgrading in this year's draft.

Beyond the headlines, To put it simply, drafting a player better than Bane with this pick will be very difficult.

More precisely, In a draft that projects to produce more good players than average, let's say Memphis needs to land one of the top eight picks to get a player better than Bane.

The bottom line

• The Grizzlies traded Desmond Bane to Orlando last summer, and Bane is thriving with the playoff Magic.
• This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/grizzlies/onsi as The odds Memphis upgrades from Desmond Bane with Orlando's pick.
• As good as Bane is, a five-year, $197 million deal for a third option is a steep price to pay.