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Desmond Bane Makes Request for Ja Morant After Trade

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Rex Villas | Last updated Jun 16, 2025 8:03 AM ET

The Orlando Magic and the Memphis Grizzlies shattered the silence in the NBA on Sunday, as the two teams authored a blockbuster trade that saw shooting guard Desmond Bane switch teams.

Bane is now with the Magic after the Grizzlies sent him to Orlando in exchange for quite a stack of assets. In return, Memphis got Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, four first-round picks and the rights for a pick swap in the 2019 NBA draft.

Bane's trade to Orlando also meant the end of Memphis' backcourt tandem of Bane and high-flying point guard Ja Morant, who sent a message to the former TCU Horned Frogs following the big news.

“SAME SHII GANG SHII TOUGH BUT WE FOREVER. GO BE GREAT BRUDDA,” Morant wrote as a caption for an Instagram story post that shows him on the court with Bane.

In response, Bane reposted Morant's message and added "DON'T CHANGE "

Bane and Morant had clearly formed a strong bond during their time together with the Grizzlies. While Memphis never went beyond the second round of the NBA Playoffs in Bane's five seasons in Grizzlies threads, the team was a perennial contender for a postseason spot in the Western Conference.

Selected in the first round of the 2020 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics, Bane blossomed into a legitimate outside threat with the Grizzlies. He averaged 17.8 points and shot 41.0 percent from behind the arc through 313 games (261 starts) with the Grizzlies.

Now with the Magic, Bane can be expected to provide a solid floor-stretcher for Orlando, which is looking to get to the next level after getting eliminated from the playoffs in the first round in back-to-back years.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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