"Same shii gang" - Ja Morant shaken as Grizzlies pull the plug on Desmond Bane with major trade move
Ja Morant was left stunned after he discovered that his partner in crime on the court, Desmond Bane, was traded to the Orlando Magic on Sunday. ESPN's Shams Charania was the one to break the news to the community through an X post.
A few hours later, the Memphis Grizzlies star guard uploaded a picture of himself with Bane and penned a heartfelt message for the shooting guard in the caption.
"Same shii gang🤝," Morant wrote.
"Shii tough but we đź”’ forever. Go be great brudda (Desmond Bane)"
In the picture, Morant is seen extending his hand to reach Bane's hand after a play during a game. In his subsequent stories, the two-time All-Star paid tribute to his former teammate, sharing an unseen picture of them and a few images from their on-court moments.
He also shared an Instagram post on his story featuring pictures of Bane from his iconic moments with the Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies traded Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic in exchange for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, four unprotected first-round picks and a first-round pick swap.
They received great value for a player who is yet to earn his first All-Star nomination and averaged 19.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game this season.
NBA insider raises questions about Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.'s future post the Desmond Bane trade
After the Grizzlies and the Magic shook the basketball landscape with a blockbuster trade, ESPN's Brian Windhorst questioned the Grizzlies about the future of their superstar-caliber players.
On Sunday, ESPN's SportsCenter discussed the Bane trade and Windhorst explained that the Magic were smart in their decisions. He opined that the Orlando franchise not only secured a great scorer who is a two-way player but also offloaded bad contracts to make cap space for themselves.
He highlighted that the draft capital was a pricy exchange, but it was fine given the value Desmond Bane will bring to the team. Later, Windhorst revealed the questions passing through his mind following the trade.
"What does this mean for the Grizzlies? This is now what is being asked in the league," Windhorst said. "What this means is, the next question is what about Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.? The whole league is now going to be investigating this. If I was at the Grizzlies press conference, that’s the number one question I would be asking."
Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. are both eligible for extensions this summer and the Grizzlies are yet to hold a press conference to answer the fans' questions.
According to Spotrac, Morant currently has a five-year, $197,230,450 contract with the Grizzlies, set to expire in 2027-28. Jackson Jr. has a four-year, $104,720,000 contract with the franchise, which is set to expire after the 2025-26 season.