Could the Desmond Bane trade shape what the Suns get for Kevin Durant?
Trade season has officially arrived. Even with the NBA Finals still unfolding, the first seismic move of the offseason has already shaken the league.
According to Shams Charania, the Memphis Grizzlies are sending 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.
BREAKING: The Memphis Grizzlies are trading Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, four unprotected first-round picks and one first-round pick swap, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/UcQnmHbgZb
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 15, 2025
Orlando is sending to Memphis the No. 16 pick in the 2025 NBA draft, Phoenix’s first-round pick in 2026, plus its 2028 and 2030 unprotected first-round selections, sources said. The pick swap is lightly protected in 2029.
That’s right. The Phoenix Suns’ bastardized pick has been moved once again. Originally part of the three-team deal that brought Royce O’Neale to Phoenix, that pick swap with Memphis and Orlando is now fully in the Grizzlies’ possession. Add Memphis to the growing list of franchises banking on a Phoenix downturn, quietly shorting the Suns’ future in the ever-fluid stock market of draft assets.
With the Kevin Durant trade looming, it’s hard not to compare the going rate. Five draft assets — four unprotected firsts and a swap — for Desmond Bane? That’s a haul. Sure, Orlando gets a young, versatile scorer who adds much-needed perimeter shooting to the league’s worst three-point attack, and defensively, Bane fits like a glove. But the sheer volume of picks headed to Memphis is eyebrow-raising.
For Suns GM Brian Gregory, it’s the kind of deal that sets a market. Or at least shifts it. Durant may be aging, but he’s still Kevin Freaking Durant. Maybe he doesn’t fetch five picks, but this deal proves teams are willing to mortgage their future to get their guy. The only question left: Will KD be that guy for someone else?
Stay locked to Bright Side to find out.
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