It was almost a year ago that the Orlando Magic made a loud statement with their acquisition of Desmond Bane.
After falling in the first round during an injury-riddled season, the Magic knew they needed to make a big move to address their needs. They knew they could not settle and run things back.
That led them to fish out Bane and wriggle him free unexpectedly.
Bane was undoubtedly a huge boost for the Magic. Even after a slow start, he provided the team with a necessary shooting threat and everyoen could feel the extra space he gave the team. With the injuries to Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, Desmond Bane povided the team another on-ball attacker.
It is easy to call the trade a success. Although it was not a massive success, considering the Magic are entering their offseason thinking once again about how to get better after a first-round series loss.
The urgency to improve only increased because of how much the Magic gave up for Bane.
Cole Anthony and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope were merely to match salaries. The prize for the Grizzlies were four first-round picks.
That included the 2026 first round pick which officially will be slotted as the No. 16 pick in the draft. But taking that and the deconstructive trade of Jaren Jackson Jr. and the No. 3 pick after Sunday's Draft Lottery and the the Grizzlies are in much better shape coming out of the Bane trade.
A year since the trade, the two teams are now in dramatically different places. Both seemed to accomplish the goals they wanted. But both still have work to do.
There is no winner yet.
The Magic got their shooter in Bane
The Orlando Magic's goal in acquiring Desmond Bane was simple: They wanted a high-volume shooter to help space the floor and give them another offensive weapon.
Orlando knew it needed to improve its offense greatly to take the next steps. The team could not be a bottom-10 offense and go where it wanted to go.
Bane had a very strong season. He was the most consistent player for the team all season long.
Bane averaged 20.1 points per game and shot 39.1 percent from three. Both were similar to his numbers in his final year with the Memphis Grizzlies. And they are especially impressive considering how much he struggled to find his fit early in the season. He played all 82 games for the first time in his career.
The only issue for the Magic with Bane was the struggle to get him volume. He shot only 5.2 3-point attempts per game, the fewest since his rookie season. That seemed an issue with the Magic's offensive scheme.
But with Franz Wagner missing most of the season, Desmond Bane became vital to attacking off the dribble. He was excelelnt at that too with two 30-point games without making a three.
There were a lot of things that went wrong this season that led the Magic to finish eighth and fall in the first round. It did not feel that Bane was one of them. He gave the team the necessary boost they needed.
He contributed a lot in the Playoffs too with 18.1 points per game and 43.1 percent shooting from three. But his shortcomings attacking bigger defenders -- Ausar Thompson got the main assignment on him to try to take him out of the game -- and defending bigger ball handlers like Cade Cunningham were weak spots in the Orlando Magic's efforts to close out the Detroit Pistons.
Those will be things the Magic will consider in the offseason as they build their team for next season. But Bane established himself as a core player. He is one of the reasons there is still a lot of optimism in Orlando.
The Grizzlies' reset has only just begun
It was a bit difficult to decipher the Memphis Grizzlies' intention when they suddenly traded Desmond Bane last summer.
They still had the other parts of their core. And while bringing in four first round picks was a good prize, it was not clear that Memphis would be resetting itself.
A year later, and the Grizzlies now have a clear path to reset the entire franchise. That process is well underway with some promising prospects.
The Memphis Grizzlies traded stalwart Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz for three more first-round picks at the trade deadline. They are likely fishing for a Ja Morant trade this summer that could add more to their coffers.
More than that, Memphis got a lot out of the first pick the team go from Orlando.
The Memphis Grizzlies traded up from the Orlando Magic's pick last year to the Portland Trail Blazers and selected Cedric Coward. Coward averaged 13.6 points and 5.9 rebounds per game and finished fifth in Rookie of the Year voting.
The Grizzlies are now set up for an accelerated rebuild. Their decision to move both Bane and Jackson got them the third pick in this draft after climbing in the Lottery and the 16th pick from teh Orlando Magic (via the weird pick swap with the Phoenix Suns).
In HoopsHabit's mock draft immediately after the Lottery results, it gives the Grizzlies Kansas sharpshooter Darryn Peterson and Kentucky big man Jayden Quintance. In any case, the Grizzlies are guaranteed one of the stellar players at the top of this draft. There is a good group of young players available to them in the Draft and on the roster already.
Memphis may still be a few years away from competing seriously -- and the Morant situation hangs over them -- but the Grizzlies have quickly set themselves up for their next era.
It is not always healthy to declare winners in any trade. Teams do trades for different reasons. And the winner of the trade is the one who accomplished their goals.
The Grizzlies certainly feel like they have accomplished those goals after their Lottery win on Sunday.
The Magic? They felt the acquisition of Bane was a good thing for them. He had a successful season.
But the trade is only successful if the Magic go deeper into the Playoffs and make the most of this era without draft picks. Orlando needs to win.
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