How Desmond Bane Trade Impacts His Fantasy Basketball Value

The NBA Finals may still give basketball fans three more excited games. But Sunday, the Orlando Magic and Memphis Grizzlies kicked off what should be another great summer of transactions with an intriguing trade.

The Grizzlies agreed to trade guard Desmond Bane to Orlando for veterans Cole Anthony and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, along with several first-round draft picks. The first of those selections will happen this month.

Bane will head to Orlando for his sixth NBA season. In 2024-25, he averaged 19.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.2 steals per game.

“We are very thrilled to welcome Desmond to the Orlando Magic family,” president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said, via NBA.com. “Over his five years in the NBA, Desmond has distinguished himself as one of the elite guards in our league, and we look forward to his shooting, IQ and wide-ranging skill set in helping our team take a step forward.”

How Magic-Grizzlies Trade Impacts Desmond Bane's Fantasy Basketball Value

Bane is heading to a team in Orlando that finished seven games behind Memphis in the NBA standings this past season. Usually, going to a "worst" square gives a player an opportunity for more production.

That might not necessarily be the case for Bane, though, as Orlando's top two scorers this past season -- Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner -- scored more points and took more shots per game than either of Memphis' top two scorers -- Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.

The good news for fantasy managers is we are accustomed to Bane not being the primary fantasy asset for his team. He's also very efficient with the opportunities he's received, and there's a chance for more 3-point chances for Bane in Orlando.

Bane posted a career-best 48.4% shooting percentage in 2024-25. The shooting guard accomplished that even though he shot a higher percentage from the 3-point line in each of his first three NBA seasons than he did last season.

Obviously, Bane's efficiency increase came from inside the arc. But the Magic need 3-point shooting. Orlando was last in the NBA in 3-point percentage during 2024-25.

Bane should get plenty of opportunities from behind the arc, and if he shoots close to 40% again from deep, then he should have a chance to increase his points per game average.

Bane's 19.2 points per game from last season was solid, but he averaged 23.7 points per contest in 42 games during 2023-24.

With Banchero and Wagner, Bane should still have a chance to eclipse the five assists per game mark next season. The shooting guard's increased rebounding makes him an all-around fantasy asset too, and that's probably not going to change in Orlando.

The Fantasy Impact on Grizzlies Roster

In Memphis, Caldwell-Pope appears to be the top candidate to replace Bane in the starting lineup for the Grizzlies. But before fantasy managers assume that happens, they should follow the subsequent moves the team makes this summer.

Moving on from Bane could indicate Memphis is headed for a rebuild. The team did just acquire a boatload of draft picks.

Or, the Grizzlies could repackage those picks in another trade for veteran player, which could impact Caldwell-Pope's role with the team.

The biggest initial fantasy impact in Memphis, though, could be with Morant. The 25-year-old finished second in 3-point attempts behind only Bane for the Grizzlies last season.

If there are no other major roster changes, Morant could shoot more from the 3-point line in 2025-26.