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Desmond Bane’s Honest Reaction to Grizzlies-Magic Trade Surfaces

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Elie Deglaoui | Last updated Jun 16, 2025 3:50 PM ET

On Sunday, the Memphis Grizzlies announced that they will trade shooting guard Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic. In exchange, the Grizzlies will reportedly get Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, four unprotected first-round picks, and a first-round pick swap ( h/t Shams Charania of ESPN).

Prior to the trade, Bane spent his entire five-year career in Memphis. Furthermore, he just wrapped up the second season of his five-year, $197.2 million contract.

Following the news of the trade, a league source recently shared Bane's honest reaction to his move to Orlando, who may have shifted the landscape of the Eastern Conference with this trade.

This past season, the Magic earned the No. 7 seed in the playoffs. Despite ultimately losing to the Boston Celtics in five games, the Magic stood their ground and mostly kept the games competitive.

They suffered a first-round loss, but Orlando showcased why they could be a team to monitor in the East, and this sentiment only grew after acquiring Bane, who is reportedly "excited" to be joining the team (h/t Michael Scotto of HoopsHype).

"Desmond Bane is 'excited' to join Orlando, a league source told HoopsHype," Scotto wrote.

While Bane is a good addition for the Magic, the Grizzlies also got an interesting return. They got two solid players in Caldwell-Pope and Anthony, as well as plenty of draft capital.

Despite being one of the top teams in the West for most of the regular season, Memphis finished the year 48-34. As the No. 8 seed, they ultimately got swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round.

The Grizzlies will look to get things back on track next season and be a dominant team in the conference once again. Trading Bane was the first move, but they could have a busy offseason ahead of them as they aim to achieve this goal.

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

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