morant-jackson.jpg
Getty Images

The first blockbuster trade of the summer arrived Sunday, as the Memphis Grizzlies shocked the NBA world by trading Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony and four unprotected first round picks. 

From the Magic's perspective, they got the missing piece in the backcourt to bridge the gap between Jalen Suggs and their young forward combo of Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero. Orlando has been desperate for more shooting and another on-ball threat, and believe they got that in Bane -- who also fits their identity of being a defense-first team. The price of acquiring Bane was a lot of first round picks, and with Memphis loading up on a picks-centric package, it raised two major questions about their plans for the future. 

Was Memphis planning on a Thunder-like teardown and rebuild? And if so, would Jaren Jackson Jr. and/or Ja Morant become available in trade talks this summer? 

The answer to both of those, at least right now, is no. ESPN's Tim Bontemps reports the Grizzlies are not expected to make any more star trades this summer, with Morant and Jackson still described as "franchise cornerstones" in Memphis. This probably won't stop teams from making calls and seeing if they can change Grizzlies general manager Zack Kleiman's mind, but Memphis is signaling that this was a move to create more flexibility for how they'll build around Morant and Jackson going forward. 

The most pressing piece of business for the Grizzlies is getting Jackson signed to an extension this summer. They are likely not done making moves to clear space to give him the deal he desires after one of his best season's as a pro. He will be an unrestricted free agent in 2026 if they don't get him signed this summer, but Bontemps notes they've been making moves to create enough cap and apron room to lock him into a long-term deal. 

Until Jackson puts pen to paper, other teams will be trying to pry the defensive stalwart out of Memphis, but to push the Grizzlies to change course and embrace a rebuild, someone would have to come with a Godfather offer Memphis simply can't refuse. Short of that, it sounds like the Grizzlies will be retooling, not rebuilding. 

That begs a different question of who they can get to slot into their lineup between Morant and Jackson that will make more sense than Bane. The Grizzlies will definitely have to focus on adding shooting this summer, as they were already light on three-point marksmen and just traded away their best volume shooter. 

Within that quest to build out their wing rotation, it's probably a fair guess that the Grizzlies will prioritize finding more size and length between Morant and Jackson, as they've struggled in the postseason as teams target their smaller guards. Bane is certainly not a bad defender, but at 6-foot-5 with a negative wingspan, having him next to Morant provides a number of options for opposing teams to attack -- those issues will be mitigated for him in Orlando, surrounded by their gigantic lineup. Memphis now has more ammunition to go find that kind of player on the trade market, and we'll see how aggressive they are turning those picks into players this summer. 

After another early playoff exit this year, it seemed as though this group had hit its ceiling, and Kleiman and company decided Bane's position was where they'd shake things up. At the very least, Bane had the most value on the trade market as he was signed long-term (unlike Jackson) and doesn't come with the availability concerns of Morant. They believe they can upgrade their roster long-term by making this move, but it might require some patience on the part of Grizzlies fans (and Morant and Jackson) to get to that point.