Magic Shock the League with Desmond Bane Acquisition: What This Means for Fantasy Owners

As the dust slowly settles on the NBA Finals showdown between the Pacers and Thunder, another seismic shift is rattling the league beneath the radar. A blockbuster trade shook up two franchises hungry for progress—the Memphis Grizzlies and the Orlando Magic. Orlando just snagged sharpshooting guard Desmond Bane, a move signaling their intent to retool and reignite their offense with some much-needed perimeter firepower. Meanwhile, Memphis walked away with a treasure trove of draft picks plus a couple of players in return. This shuffle isn’t just about next season; it’s a chess move that could reshape fantasy hoops landscapes for 2025-26. Buckle up, because I’m about to break down how this trade could send shockwaves through your fantasy rosters next year—and why you might want to rethink those draft strategies sooner rather than later. LEARN MORE

Desmond Bane

Having a shooter of Bane’s caliber in the lineup should improve the spacing for Wagner and Banchero, with the former averaging a career-high 4.7 assists per game this season. Banchero has been a better option for points leagues than category leagues for much of his NBA career, but he did provide top-100 value in eight-cat formats in 2024-25. Also worth watching from a fantasy standpoint will be Jalen Suggs, who was a sixth-round player before going down with a season-ending quad injury in early March. Playing alongside Bane should also benefit Suggs, but he’s only exceeded 55 games once in his first four seasons.Kentavious Caldwell-PopeAdvertisement

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