NBA offseason 2025 - How the Desmond Bane trade impacts Durant, draft - ESPN

The NBA world has been waiting for a blockbuster trade to materialize for the past several weeks.

Just not the blockbuster trade that happened Sunday:

Memphis Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, four first-round picks and a future pick swap.

There were many reasons why this trade on Father's Day morning was such a big surprise, but the biggest one was that it wasn't a deal involving Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant.

But that was far from the only shock felt around the NBA. Here's how league insiders are reacting to this early, fascinating deal, one that could have massive ripple effects.

It had become one of the best trivia questions in NBA circles: Who is the last player the Magic actively acquired in a trade?

Before Sunday, the answer was former No. 1 pick Markelle Fultz, whom Orlando landed at the 2019 trade deadline in a deal with the Philadelphia 76ers for reserve forward Jonathon Simmons and a protected first-round pick (that eventually became Tyrese Maxey).

But after years of inactivity, Orlando emphatically pushed in its chips, clearly viewing Bane as the missing player who can lift the franchise to the top of the East again. It has been 15 years since the Magic have won a playoff series. In talking with sources around the league, opinions were mixed on whether adding Bane will change that.

Some regard Bane as a perfect fit — an off guard who can defend and is a career 41% 3-point shooter. The Magic shot 31.7% from deep this season, by far the worst clip in the NBA.

«He'll be a good fit,» one assistant coach told ESPN. «There's not a lot of guys that you would want to grab as your third option that can do it to the level that he can do it.»

Others questioned