In a blockbuster trade that opened Free Agency, the Memphis Grizzlies decided to trade Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic in a deal that sent Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, and four first-round draft picks to the Grizzlies in 2025, 2026, 2028, and 2030.
However, as an integral part of the Grizzlies team and one of its top scorers, superstar Ja Morant recently revealed his unfiltered thoughts on the trade, claiming that he first believed ‘it was fake.’
‘I Thought It Was Fake’ — Ja Morant on Grizzlies’ Free Agency Moves
Morant recently spoke on the Memphis Commercial Appeal, where he shared his thoughts on the exchange that sent Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic.
“I was shocked, personally. I got the message from Des. To see it all over the internet, I honestly thought the (expletive) was fake. It’s best for both sides. Des is going to a very talented Orlando team. I feel like he’s the piece that they’ve been missing.”
CBS Sports ranked Bane the No. 2 acquisition of the offseason. They explained how the former Grizzlies star complements Paolo Banchero, who recently signed a new deal, and Franz Wagner.
“Luckily, I think Orlando knows what it’s doing here. Bane is perfect as the scoring and shooting punch Orlando desperately needs. When Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner drive, they have a real knockdown threat to kick out to,” CBS explained.
“The next question is: What about Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.?”@WindhorstESPN breaks down Desmond Bane being traded to the Magic ✍️ pic.twitter.com/IewXKxwjEj
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 15, 2025
While the Grizzlies may have lost one of the most vital players on the team, they have managed to lock down another one of their stars, Jaren Jackson Jr. They bought out Cole Anthony’s contract to free up the additional cap space.
According to a league source, Jackson Jr. is finalizing a five-year maximum contract extension worth about $240 million, with a player option in the 2029-30 season. However, according to Morant, this was far less than his teammate deserved.
“He deserves it. That’s the heart of Memphis, the heart of this team. I feel like he deserves it. I thought it would have been way more, honestly. I don’t understand the cap stuff,” Morant questioned, discussing what the other part of the Bane trade offers them.
“I felt like for us, having him (Caldwell-Pope) be that vet around is definitely big-time for us. Everybody knows what he does on the defensive end. For our young guys who are trying to push themselves to be that guy as well, they got a perfect vet to learn from.”
Last season, Caldwell-Pope shot only 34.2% from three after four consecutive seasons of shooting 39% and higher from 2020-2024, including over 40% in three of those seasons. However, playing next to a true playmaker like Morant could bring him back to his best.
The NBA veteran could also offer some key leadership skills to Memphis as they herald in their next generation of young talent, potentially becoming a mentor to Jaylen Wells as he goes into the second season of his NBA career.