Why Was Desmond Bane Traded to Orlando, and How Is the Rebuilding process Going for the Grizzlies’

In yesterday’s deal involving Desmond Bane, the Memphis Grizzlies received a tremendous windfall.

The most important concern is the impact of the transaction on the Grizzlies for the current and future seasons.
Orlando acquired Cole Anthony, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and four first-round draught selections from Memphis in exchange for Bane.

Draft picks, particularly the Grizzlies’ 2025 No. 16 overall pick, were crucial.

The Grizzlies traded their own pick to the Wizards in exchange for Marcus Smart, so the No. 16 pick was a huge deal for them.
One of the first-round picks in 2026 will go to Memphis from either Phoenix or Washington, among other draft capitals.

In addition to the two protected first-round picks in the 2020 and 2021 drafts, the Grizzlies will receive a first-round selection in 2030 and the rights to trade for a first-round selection in 2029.

Between 2025 and 2031, they will have 14 draft picks total, nine of which are first-rounders.

Memphis Grizzlies In Rebuild Mode, What Is Next After Desmond Bane Trade?

Why did Memphis and Orlando come to an agreement to trade Bane?

The Magic were the most pushy of the teams that contacted regarding Bane’s availability, according to ESPN’s Tim Bontempts.

The Grizzlies extended their contract before the new second apron rules were implemented, and according to one scout who spoke with Bontempts, the team was not very fond of the deal.

Despite being a good player and an overall kind man, I never considered him a max guy. Following an injury-plagued 2024–25 season, the Grizzlies of Memphis advanced to the 2025 playoffs by defeating a Dallas Mavericks squad that was shorthanded.

The Oklahoma City Thunder proceeded to humiliate the Grizzlies in the initial game of the series.

The Thunder averaged a 19.5-point victory over the Grizzlies in their sweep.

To be fair, the Grizzlies’ devastating 51-point loss in Game 1 certainly had a role in the series’ point differential. Actually, out of the 16 quarters that were played, Memphis managed to stay competitive for a total of six. In their offensive struggles against OKC, Memphis particularly struggled from long range.

Two of the Grizzlies’ four games saw under 100 points, and their postseason average of 100.5 was the lowest in the league.
In addition to committing an astounding 19 turnovers per game, the Griz had the worst shooting percentage in the playoffs at 41.5%. In terms of 3-point percentage, they were in last place with 30.4% and 10.5 treys per game.

Memphis Financials Heading Into 2025-26 Campaign

The additions of Caldwell-Pope and Anthony raised Memphis’ salary cap for 2025–26 by $1.7 million.

After paying out $133.38 million to 12 players, the Grizzlies are still far below the salary cap. Not including the 2026–27 season, which is a player option, Caldwell’s agreement still has two years and $43.2 million remaining.

Anthony, meanwhile, is still under contract for two more years for a total of $26.2 million. Anthony’s pay for the 2026–27 season is up for grabs.

If what Sportac’s Keith Smith says is true, the trade provided Memphis some salary flexibility in the long run and added a ton of draft money.

While the Grizzlies did reduce their long-term compensation, they did incur some short-term costs due to the addition of the 16th choice in the 2025 NBA Draft (more on that later!). When compared to Bane alone, Caldwell-Pope and Anthony add up to a total of roughly $7 million less.
The best case scenario would be for Memphis to pass on the 2026–27 season and the team option it currently has on Anthony, and for Caldwell–Pope to do the same.

Plus, that doesn’t even account for the $87 million that Bane is due for the 2027–28 and 2028–29 seasons.

What Does Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Bring To the Grizzlies

A 3-and-D wing is the name given to the Caldwell-Pope. But the offensively struggling 32-year-old doesn’t contribute much until he’s making long-range shots.

In his one season with the Magic, Caldwell-Pope shot 34% from outside the arc, down from 38% in six of his previous seven seasons.
When looking at the whole year, KCP had his lowest performance since his debut year in 2013–14.

Last season, he had an impressive stat line: 8.7 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.4 steals. He shot 43.7 percent, 34.2 percent, and 86.3 percent, resulting in 1.5 triples.

As a top defensive option, Caldwell-Pope is typically paired with the best offensive perimeter threat on the other team. Grizzlies rookie Tuomas Iisalo’s handling of KCP will be intriguing to watch, but the team isn’t going to stop trading for players just yet.

Although he has started every game since the 2020–21 season, Caldwell–Pope has experience as a bench player.

Presently, the Grizzlies’ backcourt is where Calwell-Pope and Ja Morant will begin their careers. Potential starting point guards for Morant include Scotty Pippen Jr., Vince Williams Jr., and Jaylen Wells.

What About Cole Anthony

Anthony scores goals at a high rate. Although the 25-year-old point guard’s shooting has improved since he was selected with the 15th overall choice in 2020, he still struggles to maintain consistency when shooting from beyond the arc. He has a decent midfield game and is most effective when given the ball. He is also a fantastic playmaker.
Anthony has become a better finisher and can score in bunches when he’s “in the zone.” He can also go to the hoop. In addition to being an excellent cutter, Anthony loves to run in transition.

Although he may use some work on his decision-making and ball-handling abilities, he is a reliable distributor.
As a defender, Anthony is often overlooked. His stature is just one of his many problems on that front, but he can be a real pain to deal with when he’s actively involved.

In his final two seasons with the Magic, Anthony saw a drop in production and playing time. Coming off his best season ever, the 6-2 point guard shot 42.4/35.3/82.3 for an average of 9.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.9 assists.

On 26 occasions, he scored in double figures, with eight of those occurrences being 20 points or more and one involving 30 points or more.

What Is Next For The Grizzlies?

Memphis has a lot of cap room, as you can see in the financials. Making a pick in the draft will be the first order of business for the Grizzlies. For this year, they have three selections: 16, 48, and 56. Finding a replacement for Bane, who averages almost 20 points per game, will be a top priority for Memphis this next offseason. With Zach Edey out for the season to start, the Grizzlies will need to find a way to increase their size, thus they may go for another player maker. The Grizzlies also struggled with defensive rebounds and turnovers.

The Grizzlies will likely select the top available player given that they are in the midst of the round when they pick.

At number sixteen, the Grizzlies make sense with Georgetown center Thomas Sorber, according to NBC Sports’ mock draft. Choosing the 19-year-old could reduce the need to start Jaren Jackson Jr. at center since Edey will be out for the start of the season. Memphis will most likely make re-signing restricted free agent Santi Aldama a priority after the draft.

In his four years in the league, Aldama has only gotten better, and he just had a career year. The 24-year-old had a shooting percentage of 48.3%, a rebounding percentage of 6.4, and an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.5 per game. On top of that, he scored ten double-doubles.