New Blockbuster Three-Team Trade Proposal Sends Desmond Bane to Magic, Hawks Land Backup Center

After getting pulverized by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs, the Memphis Grizzlies will need to make some changes in the offseason if they want to be a more competitive playoff team. Their poor defense and shooting inconsistencies led to them getting swept by the Thunder without a clear path forward. The offseason hasn't gotten off to a great start for Memphis, either. Starting center Zach Edey, who made the All-Rookie First Team, will be sidelined for four months after getting ankle surgery. While he is expected to miss the start of the season, it is an early setback for a team that wants to be contenders in the Western Conference.

Given how things have gone in Memphis during the last few seasons, they might consider shaking up their core by trading superstar point guard Ja Morant. Shooting guard Desmond Bane, who has turned into one of the league's best sharpshooters and a critical part of the Grizzlies' starting lineup, has long been considered as an untouchable part of their lineup. However, if they get a massive offer, what would it take for the Grizzlies to send Bane out?

One team that could be motivated to make a massive offer for Bane is the Orlando Magic. They've built a strong defensive identity due to having two do-it-all wings in Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner flanked by good defenders in Jalen Suggs, Jonathan Wagner, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Anthony Black and Wendell Carter Jr. Unfortunately, their defensive prowess has come at the cost of their offense. The Magic have consistently struggled to mount an effective halfcourt offense due to their abysmal spacing and they need to do something about it this summer. The Eastern Conference is wide open and they could be a force in the East with the right move.

Per NBA insider Kevin O'Connor of Yahoo Sports, the Orlando Magic are "open to trading Cole Anthony and Jonathan Isaac with their [first-round pick]" for an "upgrade". However, it will take more than that to get Bane.

Given the needs of all three teams, what would a trade between them look like? Here is one possible framework for a deal.

It should be noted that this is just a speculative and fun exercise to see what kind of moves can be made, not what I think the Hawks or any other teams should do or will do. That is all.

Atlanta Hawks Receive: Goga Bitazde, 2025 2nd round pick (via GSW, from MEM, #48), 2031 2nd round pick (via MEM)

Orlando Magic Receive: Desmond Bane

Memphis Grizzlies Receive: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Jonathan Isaac, Georges Niang, 2025 1st round pick (via ORL, #16), 2025 1st round pick (via DEN, from ORL, #25), 2028 1st round pick (via ORL, unprotected)

Why the Hawks would do this deal: For a backup big man, Bitazde is a pretty solid acquisition. He's 25 and on a long-term contract, so the Hawks wouldn't have to continue searching for a backup big man if this deal works out. He hit 72% of his attempts at the rim this season, which was in the 72nd percentile last year. Most importantly, he graded out as an extremely effective rim protector, posting a BLK% of 3.9% as a 95th percentile shot blocker. He's not much of a floor spacer and he fell out of Orlando's rotation because of his offensive limitations. However, pairing him with a ball-hander as gifted as Trae Young allows for him to have some offensive utility in pick-and-roll actions similar to how Young worked with Capela. Sending out Niang reduces their spacing, but he struggled to fit in defensively last season and the Hawks need to reconfigure their perimeter defense this summer if they want to clinch a postseason berth.

Why the Hawks would not do this deal: Sending out Niang inherently carries some risk because he was an excellent high-volume shooter for them last season. It's difficult to find players who are 6'7 and shoot 41.3% from deep on 6.6 attempts per game. Goga is also under contract for the next two seasons, so this deal cuts into their long-term cap flexibility.

Why the Magic would do this: Bane shot 39.1% from deep on 6.2 attempts per game and didn't have an abundance of great shooters around him. That is an encouraging sign for his fit on a Magic offense that has been starved for spacing. He can run a little bit of offense, dishing out 5.3 assists to 2.4 turnovers and won't be an instant target on defense. Bane is 6'5 and plays with a ton of energy on that end of the floor, even tying his career-high in steals with 1.2 per game and recording a career-high DREB% of 16.9%. He's always been the second option in Memphis and he would be able to scale down into a hyper-effective third option around wings as talented as Paolo and Franz. Furthermore, he's already under contract for the next four years, so the Magic won't have to worry about signing him to a new deal for a long time.

Why the Magic would not do this deal: Bane himself hasn't been the most durable player - he played 68 games in 2024-25, but played a combined 100 games over the previous two years. Committing that much draft capital to a player with injury concerns will inherently carry some risk. Orlando is also losing two significant defensive pieces in Isaac and Caldwell-Pope, but the real difficulties with this move lie in the future. Orlando needs to earmark money for a Paolo Banchero extension and even if they delay the extension to next year, they would have Franz, Wagner and Bane all making $30+ million. The finances of the move might simply be too much for them to accomodate considering how rarely Magic ownership commit major money to the team. It shouldn't be discounted that they could lose significant effectiveness on the defensive end from losing KCP and Isaac, but they are still retaining Suggs, Carter Jr and Black.

Why the Grizzlies would do this deal: After getting their defense exposed, bringing in two strong defenders in KCP and Isaac would be significant help for Jaren Jackson Jr, who garnered DPOY votes last season for anchoring the Grizzlies' defense almost single-handedly. It also gives them another big to play in relief of Edey should the ankle issues persist. KCP had a down season last year, but he still shot 51% on midrange shots, which graded out in the 93rd percentile. He finished with a STL% of 1.9%, good for the 83rd percentile among all wings. However, the real defensive upgrade comes with Isaac. He's arguably the best shot-blockers across all forwards, turning in a 100th-percentile level BLK% of 4.1% last season while also posting an elite STL% of 2.4% last year. As a rebounder, he was one of the best offensive rebounders last season across all forwards with a OREB% of 10.3% while also grabbing 18.3% of missed FGs from opponents, a 96th-percentile level figure. He doesn't have the durability to hold up as a center for extended stretches of time, but he can match up with almost anyone on defense. Lineups with Isaac and JJJ would be absolutely smothering on defense, albeit with severe offensive limitations. Importantly, this deal wouldn't cut into their cap space and they can still bring back Santi Aldama or even an outside piece through a trade. They are losing a lot of spacing by dealing Bane, but Niang is a great floor-spacer who has shot above 40% from deep on respectable volume for six out of the nine years of his career. Memphis finished 11th in 3P% last year, so Niang would just be a piece that helps them stay at a similar level in 2025-26. Furthermore, they get three additional first-round picks to add even more cost controlled talent. They could replace Bane in the 2025 NBA Draft by taking someone like Jase Richardson out of Michigan State if he's avalaible at 16.

Why the Grizzlies would not do this deal: Both KCP and Isaac are signed long-term and they could quickly become bad contracts if they aren't able to fit with Memphis. Niang's shooting also comes at a severe defensive cost - he's a solid team defender, but he can be a target due to his limited athleticism. Memphis is also trying to find minutes for GG Jackson and Vince Williams Jr in their wing rotation, so it's possible that Niang would handicap that development.

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