MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – After a shocking trade no one saw coming, there are two questions for the Memphis Grizzlies fanbase. Why did the Grizzlies trade away their star guard, Desmond Bane? And secondly, where does Memphis go from here?
It’s been a while since the Grizzlies have made headlines. After their abrupt exit at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Grizzlies have had a quiet offseason.
Going from a team that had the #2 seed in the West in their back pocket in February, collapsed and tumbled down the standings, to the Play-In tournament, which set them up for a 4-0 sweep by the Thunder, who are currently playing in the NBA Finals.
After a disappointing end to the season and hearing general manager Zach Kleiman’s comments after Game 4, Grizzlies fans remained curious to see what the first big move would be.
Why trade away Bane?
After a shocking notification from ESPN on Father’s Day, we now place focus on Desmond Bane.
Bane, without question, has been one of the key pieces for Memphis since arriving at the Forum.
He ranked in the Top 5 for Memphis this season in the following categories:
Points per game (3rd on team)Rebounds per game (3rd on team)Assists per game (2nd on team)Three point shooting % (5th on team)Games started (3rd on team)
Memphis Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane (22) shoots against Atlanta Hawks center Clint Capela (15) in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, March 3, 2025, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)(Brandon Dill | AP)
Bane for most of the season was the #1 option for Memphis as the centerpiece of the squad, Ja Morant, missed over half of the season due to suspension and injuries.
“Downhill Des” did not disappoint when playing without his star running mate.
With Ja = 18.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.8 assists
Without Ja = 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 6.2 assists
After the announcement from ESPN’s Shams Charania, Bane will be packing his bags after five seasons, moving to Orlando to form a new big three alongside Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner.
The Grizzlies will welcome in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who won a championship with the Denver Nuggets back in 2023, as well as the young 25-year-old point guard Cole Anthony.
The Grizzlies also received four first-round picks and one first-round pick swap.
Out of the Big 3 of Morant, Bane, and Jackson Jr., it was clear to the front office that Bane was the most movable piece for Memphis.
For Orlando to offer a package that included multiple players and multiple picks showed the value they saw in Bane.
And for the Grizzlies front office, it proved to be too good of an offer to pass up.
Memphis Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane (22) drives against Dallas Mavericks guard Max Christie (00) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Dallas)(LM Otero | AP)Where do the Grizzlies go from here?
As of today, KCP (Kentavious Caldwell-Pope) will presumably take Bane’s starting role to partner with Morant in the backcourt, while Cole Anthony will fill in on the bench.
Trading away the 26-year-old Bane for KCP, who is 32, signals that the Grizzlies are in a win-now mode going into next season.
KCP brings championship experience from his time in Denver and could provide the leadership that Memphis needs.
Anthony will be a spark off the bench, sharing time with Scotty Pippen Jr, who will both be serviceable if injuries occur to the starters.
While the bench production will be improved with the addition of Anthony, it’s unclear if KCP replacing Bane will improve the Grizzlies’ starting lineup.
KCP’s numbers have declined every season since 2022.
Averaging just 8.7 points and 2.2 rebounds with the Magic this season, it will be interesting to see if he can bounce back for a strong season in his 13th year.
With the haul of picks, the Grizzlies also have the opportunity to flip them for a different package later in the offseason.
Final Thoughts
One thing that is clear from this trade is that the Grizzlies are NOT rebuilding or tanking for next season.
They are actively competing for a championship, which is realistically their only option in the gauntlet that is the Western Conference.
As of now, Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr are the core with several young and veteran pieces that Memphis looks to make a run with going into next season.
After the first big trade of the NBA offseason, the Grizzlies will be on alert for any additional moves made.
The team is looking to break through the barrier in the 2025-26 season and advance past the second round for the first since 2013.
Click here to sign up for our newsletter!
Click here to report a spelling or grammar error. Please include the headline.
Copyright 2025 WMC. All rights reserved.