FIRST TAKE | Grizzlies should consider trading Ja Morant after moving Desmond Bane – Stephen A.

FIRST TAKE | Grizzlies should consider trading Ja Morant after moving Desmond Bane – Stephen A.

to the Orlando Magic for Contavius Calwell Pope Cole Anthony four unprotected first round picks in one first round pick swap Sunday the move represents a massive swing for Orlando to compete in the Eastern Conference for the Grizzlies it’s an opportunity to add a championship defensive wing backcourt depth and a major hall of picks so Wendy I just said the Magic took a massive swing for Bane fill in the blanks on why this went down okay so first off let me just break this into two pieces talk about Orlando really quick this is Orlando sniffing opportunity in the Eastern Conference especially with the Celtics dealing with the Tatum injury knowing that they need shooting and offense going out and targeting a player saying that’s the guy we want they haven’t made a player trade guys the last time they made a player acquisition trade where they got a player not a draft pick was for Markeel Folultz like four years ago okay who was like buy low type of guy so they put everything that and they got into this believing that Desmond Bane is a differencemaking player all right that’s what Orlando did they paid a huge price that’s a topic more interesting to me is what this signals for the Grizzlies because what you have here is a team in the middle of a pack in the Western Conference where there’s an arms race okay I got coaches and executives thinking that teams out of the 15 in the West that are going to try to go for it next year the the Grizzlies are in the middle of that they take a core player in his prime under controllable long-term contract and they trade him in a draft pick based trade with all due respect to Kavius Caldwell Pope he did not have a good year last year this is a draft pick ccentric trade you’re going “Wait a minute what’s going on here?” Now what I’m going to hear what I’m here to tell you is that the Grizzlies message to anybody who will listen whether it’s media or other teams is we’re retooling not rebuilding we’re going to try to sign Jiren Jackson Jr to a contract extension in the next few weeks and we’re not trading John Morant we’re still fully invested in John Morant i see that actions over words they can sign Jiren Jackson i think this trade actually opens up some more salary maneuverability where they can get that done but I’m going to stop short and just take a step back because that’s what the other executives on other teams are telling me last night they’re saying to me well they’re not trading John Morant now because his value is not where they’d want it to be anyway so there the John Marant trade is not happening now but this move does not signal confidence in this core because they are with all due respect a worse team on paper than they were yesterday in a very tight Western Conference so actions over words let’s see the action of signing Jiren Jackson and Stephen A john Moran can sign a contract extension this summer let’s see the action of whether he signs it or whether it’s offered let’s keep an eye on the Grizzlies first of all a couple of things number one I want to be mindful of let’s not hate on John Morant john Morant has been perpetually injured i know the suspensions and all of that stuff happen but you make mistakes you grow from it you learn let’s move forward the real problem with him is availability not capability because he’s been injured a lot we understand that right the other side to it is that I’m looking at Memphis right now and I’m saying to myself you look like you won because you got four unprotected first round picks i mean Desmond Bane who I love by the way the brother averaged nearly 18 points a game shot 41% from three one of the better shooters in the NBA make no mistake about it but he’s never been an all-star i’m trying to figure out how him and Muel Bridges you know you give up four unprotected first round picks for these guys i mean that’s a lot that is a lot you know this is not Kevin Durant this is not LeBron this is not a Steph Curry or somebody to give up four Luca for example to give up four first round picks unprotected is a concern for me now where things get a bit interesting with Desmond Bane I’m just looking at some of these numbers one of three NBA players with 800 made three-pointers and 40% three-point shooting since entering the league in 2020 and has shot 43% on catch and shoot attempts why does that matter the Magic dead last in three-point field goal percentage at 31.8% this past season dead last in catch and shoot threes at 32.7% this season the Magic had been the worst three-point field goal percentage in this team in a season since the Lakers in 2015 2016 so I get all of that adding him to Benro to Devagner to Jaylen Suggs is an upgrade orlando is saying we’re coming they’re not messing around so if you’re the Knicks you’re Detroit you’re Indiana you’re Cleveland you’re Boston without Jason Tatum look the hell out orlando is trying to make some noise here and Ben Carroll I think is just a star this brother is just going to ascend he’s one of those dudes i’m just reticent about four unprotected first round picks that’s my only issue with this there’s no shade on Bane whatsoever the brother can play including the Suns pick next year including the Suns pick next year i’m worried about that that’s a bit much to me if you’re making a deal like that you’re saying this move puts us in championship contention and I don’t know if it does that that’s my only issue nothing about Bane he can play he can play but that’s a lot i don’t know Stephen i would I would disagree with you um I I think that’s going for what market value is these days and I would say that the addition of Desmond Bane really does put them in championship contention i mean look at the East right now what’s Cleveland going to do they’re going to run it back what What are the Knicks going to do okay I mean I understand we’re watching the Pacers right now and the Pacers are a really good basketball team we see the window being open with Boston i was just with JB Bickerstaff in Detroit okay but this thing is wide open i mean you’re talking about a guy who is a career 40 point three point 40% three-point shooter who averages six and a half attempts per game that’s efficiency so I know there’s some questions around what they’re doing uh what he does defensively at times but getting Jaylen Susach with Anthony Black with Palo Ben Carroll with Frost Vagner i mean you’re talking about a team that is right there that can contend for Eastern Conference Championship and an NBA championship so I would highly disagree with you in that regard well well well well well you know what i stand corrected because you’re right looking at the Eastern Conference they obviously could compete so you’re right about that Jay i guess my bigger point was four first round picks listen you can’t say it’s to go on rape when the only person we’ve seen that done for is Muel Bridges for a nonallar you know I mean Bane is damn good please don’t get me wrong i’m not throwing any shade on him whatsoever i’m simply saying you know canavis car call Anthony and you give up a couple of unprotected first round picks okay I can get that four of them four of them for a guy that that that I’m just saying that when you say that’s the going that’s the going rate the only person that that’s been done for is Muel Bridges and we know that was because Brooklyn was dealing with New York let me add some context sure so the trade for Male Bridges the first two picks being delivered from that trade are in this draft they’re picks 19 and 26 and in that trade uh Buen Bdanovich was trade that’s a forgotten name buy Bdanovich was traded to the Nets the Nets paid him over $20 million this year he didn’t play one game so so part of what that was paying for was picks that were not that high now I don’t know what the Knicks 2029 unprotected first is going to be maybe they’ll be the number one pick in the draft for all I know so that’s one thing you also got to look what else is in the trade in this trade and again I do not want to smear the name of Contavius Cowwell Pope however he just had probably his worst season in 10 years he’s got two years and 44 million left on his contract that’s not a contract that has value in trade so part because and the reason I bring this up Stephen A is because people are going to see this trade and they’re going to say well if Desmond Bane’s getting four first round picks then Kevin Durant’s got to get six it’s not quite that way because they’re not just paying for Bane they’re also paying to offload KCP i just want to add that context all right we got to leave it there gentlemen plenty more first take take yeah [Applause] that’s Ready [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] hello [Applause] see job

FIRST TAKE | Grizzlies should consider trading Ja Morant after moving Desmond Bane – Stephen A.