"4 FIRST ROUND PICKS?": NBA fans stunned as Magic and Grizzlies start the offseason with blockbuster Desmond Bane deal
The NBA Finals are not even over yet, and the Memphis Grizzlies have kickstarted their offseason already with a mega deal. They have reportedly traded their star guard, Desmond Bane, to the Orlando Magic for some experienced veterans and four first-round draft picks.
On Sunday, ESPN's Shams Charania reported on X that the Grizzlies are trading Bane for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, a first-round pick swap and four unprotected first-round picks.
NBA fans were stunned by the assets Orlando gave up to acquire Bane, possibly in the hopes of entering the elite circle in the Eastern Conference.
Fans flooded Charania's post with their opinions on the deal. Many of them couldn't process the fact that the Magic conceded four first-round picks in the trade.
"FOUR FIRST ROUND PICKS?? DURING THE FINALS??" one fan wrote.
"Lmao what is Orlando doing," another fan added.
"4 f**king first round picks??? What the hell," a fan wrote.
One fan joked that the Grizzlies got more for Desmond Bane than the Mavericks did for Luka Doncic.
"Memphis got more for Bane than the Mavs for Luka lmao," the fan commented.
"HOW MANY FIRSTS FOR DESMOND BANE??" another fan said.
"This is a horrible, horrible trade bane is f****ng CHEEKS," another fan added.
Desmond Bane is one of the elite shooting guards in the league right now. He had a good Individual showing for the Grizzlies this season, averaging 19.2 ppg, 6.1 rpg and 5.3 apg. However, his post-season journey ended quite soon as the OKC Thunder swept the Grizzlies in the first round.
NBA salary cap expert breaks down Magic's intentions in trading for Desmond Bane
The Magic have stunned the basketball community with the blockbuster deal they struck with the Grizzlies. However, not everyone is sure of the franchise's intentions behind giving away considerable draft capital to acquire a shooting guard like Bane.
On Sunday, NBA salary cap expert Yossi Gozlan broke down the Magic's game plan with Bane for next season.
"The Grizzlies trading Desmond Bane could suggest they’re looking to take a step back and make their other stars available," Gozlan wrote in a BlueSky post. "But even if they aren’t, this is a massive haul for a great player that hasn’t been an All-Star. I understand taking deal regardless of their direction."
The Magic had an up-and-down run this season. They ended their season with a 41-41 record, clinching a playoff spot as the seventh seed in the standings. However, the Boston Celtics wiped them in the first-round with a 4-1 record.
They had their star players Paulo Banchero and Franz Wagner consistently struggling with injury, which contributed to their failures in the postseason. However, with Bane on their roster now, the Magic have secured a consistent bucket-getter, who can help lessen the load on their star players.