Ja Morant expressed surprise after learning that his longtime Memphis Grizzlies teammate Desmond Bane was traded to the Orlando Magic in June. According to Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal, Morant described his reaction to the news, saying, “I was shocked, personally.”
The Grizzlies traded Bane on June 15 in a package deal that sent him to Orlando in exchange for Cole Anthony, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, four unprotected first-round picks, and a 2029 pick swap. Morant revealed that Bane himself delivered the news to him directly.
“I got the message from Des. To see it all over the internet, I thought the (expletive) was fake, honestly,” Morant added. He acknowledged the move as beneficial for both sides, saying, “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.”
Bane, who averaged 19.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 5.3 assists last season, admitted his initial apprehension when Memphis general manager Zach Kleiman called him. “Before he told me where I was going, my heart sank, just because there’s 29 other teams outside of the Grizzlies that I could have ended up on,” Bane said.
Once he heard it was Orlando, however, Bane’s mood lifted. “Once he said Orlando, I was smiling through the phone,” he said. “I wasn’t trying to be disrespectful like I was moving on from Memphis that fast, but I was genuinely excited about the new opportunity.”
The 26-year-old guard leaves Memphis after five seasons, during which he helped the team secure a 48–34 record and the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference this past season. While his playoff performance dipped, shooting just 31.7% from the field, he remains a consistent offensive threat with a career average of 16.8 points per game.
