Desmond Bane Reveals Blunt 7-Word Message from Grizzlies GM Zach Kleiman Before Blockbuster Trade to Magic
Written by admin on June 19, 2025
In a deal that came out of nowhere, the Memphis Grizzlies traded shooting guard Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, four first-round picks, and one first-round pick swap.
Basketball media and fans have criticized the return for Bane, though very few question his fit in Orlando. At just under 27 years old, he brings the scoring and 3-point shooting the Magic need and fits well with the team’s young core of Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs.
All in all, Bane, the Magic and the Grizzlies all seem happy with the deal. But how Bane found out about the trade raised some eyebrows.
Desmond Bane Had a Surprising Father’s Day Morning Learning He Was Traded to the Orlando Magic
Appearing on “The Young Man and the Three,” Bane was asked how he found out he was dealt.
“Me and my lady, like I said, we’re on vacation in Destin [Florida], and we’ve been trying to catch like a little coffee shop, a little breakfast shop in the morning, and it was Father’s Day, so you know, we chillin’, enjoying our morning or whatever, and my GM [Zach Kleiman] texted me ‘Happy Father’s Day, you got a second?’ and I was like yeah, I do,” said Bane.
“And I’m telling my lady, and she’s like ‘this can’t be good.’ And I’m like yeah, probably not.”
“My GM texted me, ‘Happy Father’s Day, you got a second?’… 10 seconds later, I get a FaceTime call… And he told me that I was getting traded.”
Desmond Bane on finding out he was traded to the Magic 👀
(via @OldManAndThree)pic.twitter.com/8gmxRZXMal— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 19, 2025
The vague message from Kleiman made Bane wonder what was really going on.
“Like it’s either me or someone else that’s very impactful on the team,” Bane said. “About 10 seconds later, I get a FaceTime call, and I’m like, yeah, we don’t really FaceTime like that, you know what I’m saying? We talk a decent amount, like for sure, but it’s all phone calls or in person, so at that point I knew, so he told me I was getting traded.”
Bane ended up feeling good about the move and believes he can make a big impact.
“And when he told me that, my heart sunk because there’s 29 other teams you can go to,” said Bane. “Once he told me Orlando, I was like, okay, I can do that. That’s where we wanted to go. That’s a great up-and-coming team. I think I fit in, so it was a crazy little Father’s Day morning.”
The Magic clearly wanted Bane for his shooting. For his career, Bane is a 47.2 percent field goal shooter and a 41 percent 3-point shooter. Along with the impressive shooting numbers, Bane brings an elite offensive skillset that he demonstrated this past season. In the 2024-25 season, he averaged 19.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game. His all-around game and efficiency make him a strong addition to the Magic’s young core.
