The NBA world is still in shock after a blockbuster trade on Sunday morning that saw the Memphis Grizzlies cash out on Desmond Bane for an insane haul from the Orlando Magic. In perhaps a parallel to last year's Mikal Bridges trade, when the New York Knicks sent five unprotected first round picks to Brooklyn for a player they viewed as a perfect roster fit, Orlando parted with four unprotected 1s, a pick swap and two rotation players to add Bane to their roster.
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
With a price worthy of a deal for a future Hall of Famer like Kevin Durant, Memphis made out like bandits getting so many assets to build their team around Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. The strong work the Grizzlies did in the Bane trade serves as a fresh reminder of how badly Nico Harrison fumbled Dallas' Luka Doncic trade.
Desmond Bane trade makes Nico Harrison's Luka deal look even worse
While no one will deny the fact that Bane is a quality basketball player who can be a valuable member of a winning team, the fact that Orlando parted with so much capital for one player whose ceiling is the second-best player on a title team is nuts. It is unclear whether Memphis had been actively shopping Bane before Orlando called, but the fact they got so much for him highlights how little Harrison actually got back for one of the 10 best players in the league when healthy.
The Doncic trade made little sense at the time as the return of Anthony Davis, one unprotected first round pick in 2029 and Max Christie (while also sending a 2025 second-rounder to Utah with Markieff Morris and Maxi Kleber headed to Los Angeles to balance salary) is incredibly light for a generational talent.
Mavericks could've gotten so much more for Luka Doncic
The fact that Orlando parted with so many assets for Bane, who cannot be as dominant as Doncic on his best day, makes Harrison's bizarre insistence on only negotiating with the Lakers in secret look even worse.
If the Mavericks had solicited offers from more teams than just the Lakers, they could have easily topped the package Memphis got for Bane and be well-positioned to build a dynamic roster rather quickly. While a very fortunate lottery win (which conspiracy theorists have argued was a make good from the league for sending Doncic to the Lakers) means Harrison can add Cooper Flagg to his roster, the fact remains that the Doncic return was one of the worst deals in NBA history and will look worse as more deals like Bane's get made in the coming years.