NBA trade grades: Magic pay a steep price for Grizzlies star Desmond Bane

The Memphis Grizzlies and Orlando Magic came out of left field with a blockbuster trade on Sunday morning. Desmond Bane is on his way to Orlando, with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, four unprotected first-round picks and a future first-round pick swap going to Memphis in the exchange, per ESPN's Shams Charania.

This is... shocking. Bane has not been involved in a single rumor to date. Under contract through 2029 at an excellent rate, there was no reason to even speculate about him as a trade candidate. And yet, for an Orlando team in desperate need of shooting, this trade feels like the big swing we've been waiting for. It honestly makes a degree of sense for all parties involved.

Here is the full package of picks going back to Memphis, per Orlando Magic Daily's Philip Rossman-Reich:

That is a lot of draft capital, especially when Orlando does not feel like a complete NBA Finals threat at the conclusion of this deal. The Magic still need backcourt help. Maybe a bit of frontcourt depth. This trade makes it hard to flesh out the rest of the roster.

Grizzlies, Magic swap Desmond Bane and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in offseason's first blockbuster trade

This is absolutely an overpay. There's no two ways about it. That is also the going rate for stars nowadays. The Knicks overpaid in similar fashion for Mikal Bridges, who occupies a similar stratum of stardom as Bane. Orlando is swinging for the fences in a wide-open Eastern Conference, complementing two elite, downhill slashing wings in Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner with one of the NBA's most dynamic shooting wings.

We can wring our hands about the price all day long, but Bane immediately elevates Orlando's standing. Are they favorites to win the championship next season? Probably not, but with Boston and Milwaukee in a fallow period and the Sixers expecting god-knows-what from Joel Embiid's knees, the path is clear. Cleveland and Indiana remain excellent, but neither is an infallible superteam.

Orlando is banking on continued progress from Wagner and Banchero, who are both knocking on the door of top-20 status in the NBA. Bane fits with Orlando's cadre of versatile, physical defenders. He's one of the strongest players in the league, capable of withstanding incredible physicality at the point of attack. It's rare to find a wing with Bane's combination of shooting touch and muscle mass. Moreover, he has developed into a credible secondary creator, constantly beating closeouts, playing through contact on his drives or dropping dimes on the move.

The Magic still get the 25th pick in this upcoming draft, which could turn into a young guard prospect. There are other tradeable contracts on the roster, such as Wendell Carter Jr., Jonathan Isaac and Anthony Black, which could help Orlando recoup draft capital down the line.

If the Magic finish next season as a top four seed and make a real run in the playoffs — a totally plausible outcome — then this trade will age well. Draft picks are great, but winning games is the whole point, and this Magic roster has the pieces to contend at a very high level, especially if the front office can find ways to navigate a newly restrictive cap sheet and flesh out the backcourt. We also can't forget that Jalen Suggs will return from injury next season, which should alleviate some of those pressing playmaking concerns.

As for Memphis, well... this was a crossroads moment. This is great value, straight up. Memphis takes a step back, but Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is probably better than last season's numbers suggest. He was an invaluable member of Denver's championship-winning core just a couple years ago. If KCP can relocate his jump shot, he's a lights-out defender and a perfectly solid Desmond Bane facsimile on the wing. Cole Anthony is probably a bench guard at this point of his career, but he's a good one.

Trading Bane suggests a willingness to take a step back and reassess their place in the Western Conference, but Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. can still sustain a winner. The Grizzlies traditionally draft well and should find value with the No. 16 pick, not to mention this sudden influx of future picks. If the Grizzlies don't want to use all these picks, Memphis now has one of the best asset troves in the NBA. The next superstar to hit the trade market could end up on the Grizzlies' radar.

Memphis wins this trade on the value front, no doubt, but Bane is 26 years old and a perfect No. 3 for this Orlando roster on paper. If the Magic take the step forward this front office is clearly expecting, then we can reevaluate in 12 months.

Magic grade: C+
Grizzlies grade: A-

Stay tuned for more on this developing story.