Jalen Suggs

Jalen Suggs Available For Magic’s Opener

October 22nd, 2025 at 10:31am CST by Luke Adams

Magic point guard Jalen Suggs will be available when the team’s regular season tips off vs. Miami on Wednesday evening, head coach Jamahl Mosley confirmed today, per Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link).

Suggs underwent season-ending surgery last March to remove cartilage fragment in his left knee, then spent the offseason recovering from that procedure and going through a lengthy rehab process. He didn’t appear in any preseason games this month and it was unclear in recent weeks whether or not he’d be ready to play when the regular season got underway.

Suggs had initially been listed as questionable for Wednesday’s game, but Mosley spoke positively on Tuesday about the progress he has made, according to Beede (subscription required). The 24-year-old had progressed within the past few days to participating in 5-on-5 work.

“It’s just great to see that he’s able to go through full contact with the 5-on-5, with the group of guys being out there with his brothers, as he likes to say,” Mosley said on Tuesday. “It would mean a lot for us. We know what he brings to the table: his energy, his toughness, his defensive presence as the head of the snake defensively but then also his controlling of the floor on the offensive end.”

Suggs will likely be the Magic’s fourth offensive option, behind Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Desmond Bane. However, he earned a spot on the All-Defensive second team in 2023/24 and has been an important part of the success the team has had in recent years.

Last season, Suggs averaged a career-high 16.2 points per game to go along with 4.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.5 steals per night, but was limited to 35 appearances due to injuries. The Magic went 20-15 in those games despite being without either Banchero or Wagner for most of them. They were 21-26 in games Suggs didn’t play.

Mosley said on Tuesday that Orlando will be “smart and think long term” with Suggs, per Beede, so he’ll likely be on a minutes restriction to open the season, and I imagine the club will take a cautious approach to back-to-back sets too.

Injury Notes: Sochan, George, Demin, Suggs, K. Jones, Ingles

October 16th, 2025 at 2:44pm CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs will be without forward Jeremy Sochan when they open their regular season in Dallas next Wednesday night, according to the team (Twitter link via Jared Weiss of The Athletic).

Ramping up this fall from a calf injury he sustained during the summer, Sochan had progressed to 5-on-5 scrimmages this week and was trending toward potentially being available for opening night. However, the Spurs say that he sprained his left wrist in practice on Thursday. He’ll enter the regular season considered day-to-day, per the club.

Sochan is one of 15 players who remain eligible to sign rookie scale extensions. If he and the Spurs don’t agree to terms on or before Monday, he’ll be on track to play out his contract year and become eligible for restricted free agency next summer.

We have more injury updates from around the NBA:

After progressing to 3-on-3 work on Wednesday, Sixers forward Paul George took another step forward on Thursday, fully participating in practice, including 5-on-5 action, tweets Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports. However, head coach Nick Nurse quickly replied “no” when asked if there’s optimism about George suiting up for Friday’s preseason finale or next Wednesday’s regular season opener (Twitter video link). “Yesterday was his first day live,” Nurse said. “… Today was a short amount of 5-on-5, so we have to just keep waiting.”
No. 8 overall pick Egor Demin will make his preseason debut for the Nets on Friday vs. Toronto, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Demin has been dealing with a plantar fascia tear during training camp and the preseason, but it appears he’ll be ready for the start of the season unless he experiences a setback before then.
Magic guard Jalen Suggs responded well to the limited contact work he did this week, but there are still hurdles to clear before he’s cleared for game action, head coach Jamahl Mosley said on Thursday. “We’ll have a couple more scrimmages where we’ll be able to go live, some 3-on-3, some 5-on-5, and we’ll see how he responds after each one of those days,” Mosley said, per Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required). “Then we’ll be able to tell you accordingly, you’ll know whether he is or isn’t [ready] on opening night.”
After announcing last week that rookie guard Kam Jones could miss multiple weeks due to a back issue, Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle provided an update on Thursday, telling Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (Twitter link) to check back in on Jones around November 9. That’s the same date that T.J. McConnell (hamstring) is scheduled to be reevaluated.
Timberwolves forward Joe Ingles, diagnosed last week with a left groin strain, has been cleared for basketball activities and will be available for Thursday’s game against Chicago, the team announced today in a press release.

Injury Notes: Garland, Suggs, Adebayo, Bucks, Pacers, Thiero

October 15th, 2025 at 9:03am CST by Luke Adams

Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland took an important step forward in his recovery from toe surgery by participating in a 5-on-5 contact scrimmage on Tuesday, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required). While head coach Kenny Atkinson referred to as a positive development, he cautioned that it doesn’t mean Garland’s return is imminent.

“It was live. It was very short,” Atkinson said. “Now let’s see what tomorrow looks like. What does the recovery look like? We know this is not an easy injury to come back from. It’s just not. You see what happens in the NFL with this injury. It’s not linear, usually, the return to performance, and we’re hoping it will be and he’ll progress. But I side on the side of being conservative and making sure. This is a good step today. A small step but a good step.”

Sources who have spoken to Fedor have maintained that Garland still could miss the first 10-15 games of the regular season. With their starting point guard expected to be unavailable when the season tips off, the Cavs intend to start Sam Merrill in the backcourt alongside Donovan Mitchell, who will take on more ball-handling responsibilities, says Fedor.

We have several more injury-related updates from around the NBA:

Magic guard Jalen Suggs did “a little bit” of contact work on Tuesday in a 3-on-3 setting, head coach Jamahl Mosley told reporters, including Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required). It’s unclear whether Suggs will be able to play in Orlando’s remaining preseason game on Thursday or if he’ll be ready for the season opener next Wednesday.
Heat big man Bam Adebayo exited Monday’s preseason game early due to a knee injury, but it’s just a contusion and wasn’t serious enough to require an MRI, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). While it remains to be seen if Adebayo will suit up in the team’s preseason finale on Friday, it sounds like he should fine for the start of the season.
After Myles Turner (right calf soreness) and Gary Harris (right hamstring strain) sat out the Bucks‘ last preseason game on Tuesday, head coach Doc Rivers downplayed Turner’s issue and suggested he’ll be ready for the start of the season, but said Harris’ hamstring injury will likely sideline him for a week or two, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter links).
The injuries that Pacers reserves Johnny Furphy (left ankle sprain) and Quenton Jackson (right hamstring soreness) are dealing with aren’t “serious,” according to head coach Rick Carlisle, but there’s no guarantee either player will be ready for opening night. “There’s a chance they could be back for the opening of the season, but I don’t know how big of a chance,” Carlisle said, according to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. The Pacers’ coach added Ben Sheppard, who has been out with an undisclosed injury, is “trending in a good direction” and could be available on Friday for the club’s preseason finale.
Lakers rookie Adou Thiero remains sidelined due to swelling in his knee but has progressed to on-court activities, the team announced on Tuesday (Twitter link via Dan Woike of The Athletic). The Lakers added that Thiero will be reevaluated in approximately two or three weeks.

Southeast Notes: Magic Rotation, Suggs, Achiuwa, Knueppel

October 11th, 2025 at 11:03am CST by Rory Maher

Free agent addition Tyus Jones and trade acquisition Desmond Bane started their second straight preseason game on Friday for the Magic, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. The veteran guards were once again paired with mainstays Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero and Wendell Carter Jr.

Head coach Jamahl Mosley praised Carter after the 26-year-old big man accumulated 20 points, 13 rebounds and three assists in 21 minutes during the 30-point victory over Philadelphia, Beede notes.

“The work that he continues to put in, his presence around that rim, his presence on the floor, his demeanor, it changes the way we play,” Mosley said about Carter. “When he plays with that presence, that poise and that strength for our team, it goes such a long way.”

According to Beede, the first five players of the bench for Orlando were Anthony Black, Jase Richardson, Jett Howard, Tristan Da Silva and Goga Bitadze. The Magic selected four of those players in the first round of the past three drafts, with Bitadze being the lone exception.

Here are a few more notes from around the Southeast Division:

While president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said a couple weeks ago that the Magic were targeting opening night for Jalen Suggs‘ return from the left knee injury that has sidelined him since January, the team continues to take a cautious approach to his recovery. Mosley said before Friday’s contest that Suggs has done a limited amount of contact work to this point, according to Beede. “We’re slowly ramping him up,” Mosley said. “I think he’s different in the sense that how he responds to what we do on a day-to-day [basis]. He’s been in some 5-on-0, does that, not much contact in situations. But slowly trying to bake him in there. As we go on the next couple weeks, we’ll be able to see and tell more from that.”
Forward/center Precious Achiuwa went unsigned for most of the offseason before agreeing to a non-guaranteed training camp deal with the Heat in late September. Achiuwa, who was drafted by Miami and spent his rookie year with the team before being traded to Toronto in the 2021 offseason, said he’s happy to be back with his first NBA team, as Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald relays. “I think there’s some unfinished business,” Achiuwa said of returning to the Heat. “Just the culture of the Miami Heat kind of fits the way I play. A lot of tenacity, a lot of intensity. So I feel right at home here.”
Brandon Miller has been impressed with fellow wing Kon Knueppel during training camp and preseason, per Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. “Definitely a great competitor,” Miller said of Knueppel. “He’s going to have a great career in this league. I’m rooting. We’re going to be right there behind him, supporting him as he continues to get better every day. So, hats off to him for coming in with the most confidence, just continue to have that confidence and that competitive spirit. You can’t ask for much more from him.” Miller was the No. 2 overall pick of the 2023 draft, while Knueppel was selected fourth overall in June.

Magic Notes: Bane, Banchero, F. Wagner, Black, Howard

October 8th, 2025 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Magic took a major gamble by trading for Desmond Bane, but Paolo Banchero believes the high-scoring guard is exactly what Orlando needs to be a serious contender in the East, writes Marc J. Spears of Andscape. The team sent a lot of assets to Memphis in return, parting with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, four unprotected first-round picks and a first-round swap. Banchero has no doubt that Bane will be worth the high price.

“It’s a great fit for who we are as a team,” he said. “He adds what we’re missing, and he also adds to what we already have. It’s like the perfect match. We don’t have anybody who can make shots like him, who can kind of leverage the way he is able to make shots, then make plays for others and get downhill and create. He’s a Swiss Army knife just as a player, as a guard. He is stronger than 99 percent of the guards in the league with how he’s built. He’s going to fit into what we do.”

Bane tells Spears that he received a Father’s Day text from Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman, along with a request to talk right away. Kleiman followed up by FaceTiming him to break the news of the trade. Even though Bane was caught by surprise after spending his first five NBA seasons in Memphis, he insists there’s “no bad blood at all” and he’s happy to be in a good situation in Orlando. He also regrets that the Grizzlies weren’t able to make a long playoff run while the foundation of the team was together.

“I feel like we never really got a chance to see what it would be like for a full season with our core and everybody healthy,” Bane said. “But you can only wait so long. In this business, you only got so many years to make something happen.”

There’s more from Orlando:

Jamahl Mosely had Jalen Suggs and Moritz Wagner serve as coaches during Wednesday’s scrimmage, per Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Suggs is still recovering from a left knee trochlea cartilage tear that ended his season in January, while Wagner is rehabbing a torn ACL in his left knee. Since they couldn’t participate in the scrimmage, Mosely decided to give them a different perspective. “It’s huge because it talks about communicating,” he said. “It keeps communication as the high priority. You’ve got to be able to communicate with your teammates the things that you see, what you want, the standard that we’ve set. I’ve said this before but it’s easy for coaches to say things, to put things on boards, to watch it on film … It becomes real when these guys can repeat it back to you and they can repeat the message of what they’re calling themselves to do.”
Franz Wagner sat out the first preseason contest after an active summer at EuroBasket, but he’s hoping to get back on the court in at least one of the next three games, Beede adds. “Yeah, I definitely want to play, get out there with the guys and get a couple minutes,” Wagner said. “Not that much time before the first real game.”
In a separate story, Beede examines the importance of this season for Anthony Black and Jett Howard, who will both become eligible for rookie scale extensions next summer.

Magic Notes: Suggs, M. Wagner, Bane, Isaac, Jones, Banchero

September 30th, 2025 at 3:03pm CST by Luke Adams

As Magic guard Jalen Suggs continues to make his way back from a left knee trochlea cartilage tear that has sidelined him since January, the team is targeting opening night for his return, president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said on Monday, according to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required).

Suggs had originally hoped to be back to 100% for the start of training camp, but now the plan will be to use camp and the preseason as a ramp-up period. As Beede writes, the goal will be to get him on the court in one of Orlando’s four preseason games before the regular season tips off.

Moritz Wagner, the Magic big man who is coming off a left ACL tear, isn’t quite as far along as Suggs, Weltman acknowledged on Monday.

“Moe’s timeline is different,” Weltman said. “He’s further away. You guys know there have been unfortunately a series of ACLs in the last decade of the NBA and an associated timeline with that. But you guys also know Moe Wagner. So, he’s not your normal guy. He’s attacking it. and we’re hopeful he can beat that timeline. What that looks like exactly is too soon to say.”

Wagner said he has gotten through the injury rehab portion of his recovery process and is now working on getting back into game shape, according to Beede. At the team’s first practice on Tuesday, Suggs was able to take part in “all of the non-contact drills,” per head coach Jamahl Mosley, while Wagner did many of the same drills but was “probably two steps back” of Suggs in terms of progress (Twitter links).

Here’s more on the Magic:

Adjusting to a new team after spending the first five years of his NBA career in Memphis has been “pretty easy” so far, Desmond Bane said on Tuesday (Twitter video link via Beede). “They’re such good guys that they make it easy to come in here and get our work done so it’s been good,” Bane said of his new teammates.
After appearing in just 11 games across three seasons from 2020-23, Magic forward Jonathan Isaac played in 58 in 2023/24 and 71 last season. Will that number continue to rise in 2025/26? “My goal this season is 82,” Isaac said at media day, noting that he dropped some weight in the offseason (Twitter link via Beede). “If nothing happens, if I don’t get any colds or sicknesses or anything like that, I should be fine to go 82.”
Speaking to reporters on Monday, including Beede (Twitter link), veteran point guard Tyus Jones said the chance to potentially compete for a championship was an important factor in his decision to sign with Orlando.
Star Magic forward Paolo Banchero, who signed a five-year, maximum-salary rookie scale extension in July, said it was an “amazing feeling” to lock in that deal and expressed enthusiasm about the moves the front office made to upgrade the roster over the summer. “I’m definitely happy with the moves the organization made,” Banchero said (subscriber-only story via Beede). “[They] brought in two great, experienced players (Bane and Jones) in here and drafted two great rookies (Jase Richardson and Noah Penda). So, [I’m] just excited to get to work with the group and get on the court and start building that chemistry.”

Magic Notes: Banchero, Suggs, Richardson, Two-Way

September 28th, 2025 at 7:02pm CST by Eli Cohen

Paolo Banchero knows that expectations for the Magic have risen dramatically this offseason, and he’s ready to embrace the challenge of meeting them, writes Josh Robbins for The Athletic (subscriber link).

“I think, just as a competitor, as a winner, as a player, you want to be expected to be great,” Banchero said.

Robbins writes that Banchero was stunned by the Magic’s trade for Desmond Bane, which sent Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, and four first-round picks to the Grizzlies, but quickly grew excited about the prospect of teaming up with the sweet-shooting guard.

“I felt like there were some guys that were kind of up on the list of who we would maybe trade for, at least in my head, and Desmond Bane was not one of them,” Banchero said. “So when I heard that one, I was like, ‘Desmond Bane!’ I was like, ‘S–t, he’s a hell of a player.'”

Banchero spoke about the impact that Bane, as well as Tyus Jones, who signed with the team on a one-year deal, should have this year.

“I think it’s going to do a lot of great things, not only on the court but off the court, just with the way they are as people and how they’re able to kind of control a room,” he said. “They talk with so much experience that you listen to them. Both of them offensively are just really experienced players, and they just know how to play. They have great feels for the game, feels for the court, when to make plays, when to shoot, when to drive.”

We have more from the Magic:

Jalen Suggs is working hard to get back from the arthroscopic knee surgery that ended his season in March, but his updates remain cryptic, writes Jason Beede for the Orlando Sentinel. “This is definitely the hardest summer that I’ve had so far,” he said last week in a podcast appearance. “The knee is coming along but I’m just really getting to work on minute muscles and really detailed parts about my body that just have been overlooked up to this point. So it’s been great. Camp and the return will come in time, in [God’s] time, but our process is really working and I love the spot that we’re in right now.” Beede notes that a more concrete update on his timeline, as well as that of Moritz Wagner, who is recovering from an ACL tear, should come tomorrow.
In the same article, Beede writes that the Magic’s bench will look dramatically different with the departures of Anthony, Gary Harris, Cory Joseph, and Caleb Houstan, but adds that internal development for Anthony Black, Jett Howard, and Tristan Da Silva should help boost the unit around Jones’ floor generalship. Beede also suggests that, given head coach Jamahl Mosley‘s preference to keep his rotations intact, if Suggs misses the start of the season, it could open a pathway for rookie Jase Richardson to start. While Black and Jones are capable of stepping up, Beede observes that in the past, Mosley has often looked to the third-string players in such situations.
The Magic currently have Jamal Cain and Orlando Robinson on two-way contracts, with plenty of options for the third slot. Among the most likely candidates, Beede lists Reece Beekman, Colin Castleton, Justin Minaya, Lester Quinones, and Alex Morales, all of whom are currently on Exhibit 10 deals with the team. Beede notes that Castleton and Morales both have experience with the franchise, as both spent time with the G League affiliate in Osceola — Morales for three seasons and Castleton for part of last year.

Southeast Notes: Suggs, Da Silva, Sarr, Coulibaly, Hawks

September 24th, 2025 at 1:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Magic guard Jalen Suggs admits that the rehab process after knee surgery has made this the most difficult summer of his NBA career, but adds that he’s “feeling really good” as training camp approaches, per Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link). Suggs was limited to 35 games last season by a combination of back, quad and knee issues. He was shut down after undergoing surgery in early March and has used the offseason to get his body right again.

“A big part of getting the operation over, just cleaning it, was so that there was no looking back, there was no changing my movement patterns or anything like that,” Suggs said. “Just taking care of it the first time so when coming back when it was time to really play instinctually, which I feel like is part of what my gift is, moving and trusting those instincts, I can do it without a doubt.”

Orlando was hampered by long-term injuries to Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner as well as Suggs last season and had to go through the play-in tournament to reach the playoffs. Expectations will be much higher this year with all three stars fully healthy for camp and Desmond Bane added in an offseason trade. Suggs is optimistic that he’ll be able to hold up after a summer of conditioning.

“I’m feeling healthy, feeling strong,” he said. “The rest of my body feels amazing. I have really gotten the time to work on all of it. I think this is the best my upper body has felt in terms of look, of functional strength. … The best that my lower body is feeling. The knee is coming along, but I’m just really getting to work on minute muscles and really detailed parts about my body that have just been overlooked up to this point.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

Magic forward Tristan Da Silva got to team up with his brother and bring home a gold medal at EuroBasket, Beede writes in a full story. Wagner and Orlando assistant coach Randy Gregory were also part of the unbeaten German team, and they’re hoping the experience translates to the NBA. “(Head coach Jamahl) Mosley is very intrigued by what we did and wants to learn and wants to see how he can get better off of it,” Da Silva said. “With the way Franz played over the summer, a lot of guys are going to look his way and follow his lead in terms of demeanor and the way they approach the games.”
Wizards center Alex Sarr, who suffered a right calf injury during EuroBasket, will miss the start of training camp, tweets Josh Robbins of The Athletic. It doesn’t sound like a long-term issue, as general manager Will Dawkins told reporters that the team is “hopeful that he’ll see some time towards the end of that.” Dawkins added that Bilal Coulibaly, who underwent thumb ligament surgery earlier this month, is expected to be ready for the first or second week of the regular season (Twitter link).
Ashton Smith, who worked as a player development coach with the Hawks last season, has been promoted to an assistant coach, according to Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link).

Eastern Notes: White, Donovan, Johnson, Wall, Shammgod

September 7th, 2025 at 9:08pm CST by Rory Maher

Bulls head coach Billy Donovan, who won back-to-back NCAA titles with Florida during his college coaching career, was inducted into the Hall of Fame on Saturday. Starting guard Coby White attended the ceremony and spoke to Chicago Sports Network about Donovan’s “amazing accomplishment” and what he likes about having him as a coach (Twitter video link).

“He’s honest,” White said of Donovan. “He pushes you, he’s going to get the most out of you. And for the most part, he’s always been upfront with me.

“But he also believes in his players. He gets his players to compete every night. He builds a relationship with his players, which often times you don’t see (with NBA head coaches).”

Donovan signed a multiyear extension with the Bulls in late July, while White is entering the final year of his contract, which will pay him about $12.9MM in 2025/26.

Here are a few more notes from around the East:

Wizards lottery pick Tre Johnson III was viewed as one of the best shooters entering the 2025 draft but he also displayed improved ball-handling a couple months ago at Las Vegas Summer League, writes Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network. “I watch bits and pieces of Kyrie (Irving) and Darius Garland, just from a guard’s perspective how they can change speeds,” Johnson said. Second-year big man Alex Sarr believes Johnson is more than capable of creating shots for both himself and others. “I like his play-making in general. I already knew that about him, but it’s just good to see. I feel like we’re just seeing the surface of what he’s capable of,” Sarr said.
John Wall announced his retirement as a player last month and will cover the NBA for Amazon Prime Video in 2025/26. In an interview with Michael Lee of The Washington Post, Wall said he hopes to have his No. 2 jersey retired by the Wizards. Varun Shankar of The Washington Post considers whether the Wizards should retire Wall’s jersey, noting that the former No. 1 overall pick made five All-Star appearances with the franchise and is the team’s all-time leader in both assists and steals. While it’s been a long time since the organization has retired a player’s jersey, Shankar believes Wall could be a “logical” choice to be honored, as he was the driving force behind Washington’s “best stretch since (Wes) Unseld retired.”
Assistant coach God Shammgod, who joined Orlando this offseason after nine years in Dallas, believes the Magic have a talented roster capable of taking a step forward this season, he tells Kurt Helin of NBC Sports. “Paolo (Banchero) and Franz (Wagner) and them, they’re coming into their own right now,” Shammgod said. “They’re at the right age where they still young, but they young enough to dare. Dare to be great. And I believe like Paolo and Franz is going to be great, but Desmond Bane, Jalen Suggs, Anthony Black, we got Tyus Jones. Now we got so many great players. … And I feel like right now they all are ready to make their mark. So I’m just happy and honored to be a part of it.”

Latest On Desmond Bane Trade

June 16th, 2025 at 8:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Several teams contacted the Grizzlies about Desmond Bane before they decided to trade him on Sunday, but nobody was as aggressive as the Magic, sources tell Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Orlando is determined to become a title contender and faced a glaring need to improve its three-point shooting after finishing last in the league in that category at 31.8%.

Bane is a 41% shooter from beyond the arc for his career and connected at 39.2% in 69 games last season. The 26-year-old shooting guard projects to be a perfect complement alongside Jalen Suggs in the Magic’s backcourt and should be more productive than Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who was Orlando’s major addition last summer.

“He’ll be a good fit,” an assistant coach told Bontemps. “There’s not a lot of guys that you would want to grab as your third option that can do it to the level that he can do it.”

Even so, Bontemps notes that there was surprise throughout the league about the price the Magic were willing to pay to acquire Bane. In addition to Caldwell-Pope and Cole Anthony, they gave up four first-round picks and a 2029 pick swap, including the 16th selection in this year’s draft.

Orlando also took on a significant financial commitment with Bane, who has four years and $163MM left on his contract. The Magic are likely facing huge tax bills in the future, especially once Paolo Banchero‘s upcoming extension kicks in. One scout suggested to Bontemps that Memphis may have been relieved to unload Bane’s contract.

“[The Grizzlies] did that extension before the new second apron rules kicked in and they were looking at that deal and liking it less,” he said. “Really good guy, good player, but [I] never thought of him as a max guy.”

Bontemps notes that Memphis general manager Zack Kleiman promised changes after being swept in the first round by Oklahoma City, and Sunday’s deal was the first step in that direction. A complete rebuild doesn’t seem likely, as sources told Bontemps that Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. aren’t expected to be dealt, but more moves appear to be coming as the franchise tries to clear up cap room to renegotiate and extend Jackson’s contract before he reaches free agency in 2026.

With the Grizzlies shifting to an up-tempo approach under new coach Tuomas Iisalo, Bontemps hears they’re confident that Jaylen Wells can become a long-term starter. The second-round pick is coming off an outstanding first season, averaging 10.4 PPG and finishing third in the Rookie of the Year voting.

Memphis is also happy with the cache of draft assets it received in the deal, particularly the 2026 selection that will almost certainly be the less favorable pick between Phoenix and Washington. Considering the current state of those two teams, there’s a chance the Grizzlies could wind up with an early pick in a very strong draft.

Bontemps adds that the uncertainty at the top of the East could inspire several teams to emulate Orlando by making a big deal, and there’s a league-wide feeling that numerous trades could take place by draft night.

“For them, they got to give themselves a chance,” one executive said. “They have gone to the playoffs two years in a row and had a first-round exit, and they look around and they’ve got a young group that’s trying to figure out how to take the next step.”

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