New Report on Ja Morant's Future After Big Desmond Bane Trade

It wasn't long before former Memphis Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane began embracing the lifestyle of his new team.

A few hours after being traded from Memphis to the Orlando Magic for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, four unprotected first-round picks, and a first-round pick swap, Bane took to social media to express his excitement to be in The Sunshine State.

☀️😎
— Desmond Bane (@DBane0625) June 15, 2025

Bane's future with the Magic is cut and dry. Orlando is currently trending upward behind Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero, and while four first-round picks is a hefty price to pay, it's banking on all of them falling in the latter third of the selection order.

Meanwhile, Memphis is still figuring out what its next few years look like. However, they are still building around Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.

"Perhaps this past trade deadline in February, when the Grizzlies offloaded Smart to the Wizards in a payroll-slicing move, was some sort of indication that Memphis was more open to roster changes than previously believed," NBA Insider Jake Fischer wrote in a recent Substack.

Apr 8, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane (22) drives in past Charlotte Hornets guard Seth Curry (30) during the second half at the Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images | Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images

"The Bane deal has naturally sparked a much louder round of questioning about what the Grizzlies' next moves might be, but I don't get the sense that rival teams are expecting them to proceed to more of a teardown," Fischer added.

The Grizzlies still want to build around Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr, per @ShamsCharania

(h/t @ohnohedidnt24 ) pic.twitter.com/Rt2gg0ZSjO
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 16, 2025

According to Shams Charania of ESPN as well, the Grizzlies are planning on building around Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.

Bane has played a large role for the Grizzlies since joining the team following the COVID-19 bubble, including during a postseason run when Memphis secured the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference before being eliminated by the Los Angeles Lakers.

And while the guard was certainly the most expendable player of Memphis' core, there isn't much belief that trading him will lead to a franchise reset, even with Tuomas Iisalo set to spend his first season as an NBA coach in the fall.

Apr 24, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (22) knocks the ball away from Memphis Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane (22) during the second quarter during game three for the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

"Rival teams, if anything, seemed to be more intent in the aftermath of the trade in trying to figure out what Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman might try to turn all of these new picks at his disposal into," Fischer wrote, "and whether such flipping might happen sooner rather later."

Orlando bet on itself by sending four unprotected first-round picks. All Memphis needs to turn them into much more valuable assets is another team to bet against it.

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