The Orlando Magic sent shockwaves around the NBA when they acquired Desmond Bane from the Memphis Grizzlies in a package centered around a treasure chest of first-round picks.
It was a bold, albeit necessary, swing for Orlando to continue its ascension up the Eastern Conference pecking order. The Magic sorely needed another shot-maker to lessen the burden on budding superstar Paolo Banchero, and Bane provides that in spades.
This hopefully won't be the front office's only big swing to vault Orlando into contention. After all, a once-overflowing chest of assets is now extremely thin. Speaking of, the first piece of the blockbuster trade is now finalized after the Grizzlies acquired the rights to Cedric Coward, who was originally drafted No. 11 overall by the Portland Trail Blazers.
According to ESPN's Sham Charania, Memphis will send the No. 16 pick (used on China's Yang Hansen), a 2028 first-round pick via the Magic and two seconds to Portland for the highly touted Coward.
The Desmond Bane trade fallout is only just starting for the Magic
The good news is Bane hasn't played a game for the Magic yet. The sheer mystery is concerning, but there's no need to panic. With that, here is an updated look at the details of the trade.
- Magic get: Desmond Bane
- Grizzlies get: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, Cedric Coward, 2026 first-round pick, 2029 pick swap (top-two protected per ESPN), 2030 first-round pick
The Magic will surely be kicking themselves if Coward develops into a star, but, again, it is far too early to jump to conclusions.
RELATED: Desmond Bane guarantees Orlando Magic will fix their biggest issue
Four unprotected first-round picks is a massive haul for a player who has never made an All-Star team. It was a clear overpay, but a necessary one for an Orlando team that ranked last in three-point percentage and catch-and-shoot threes last season. It was the worst display of shooting since the 2015-16 Lakers, a team that won 17 games.
Bane is one of the game's most prolific shooters. Since he was drafted in 2020, only two other players have made 800 three-pointers at above a 40 percent clip. His floor-spacing will help open things up for Banchero and Franz Wager.
In a vacuum, the trade gives Orlando a small window of opportunity to win with its current core before the first- and second-apron thresholds enter the picture once Banchero's eventual extension kicks in.
That might seem daunting, but the East is wide open next year following the catastrophic injuries sustained by Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton, and Bane remedies the team's biggest flaw.