Win or lose the NBA Finals in the coming week, the emergence of the Indiana Pacers and their ability to reach back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals, and now the NBA Finals, have fellow Eastern Conference teams thinking they could be next.

With Jayson Tatum’s injury and the Boston Celtics likely looking to move certain pieces to stay under the first and second apron, they won’t be at full strength for the 2025-26 season.

The Orlando Magic made a move on the morning of Father’s Day to acquire Desmond Bane from the Memphis Grizzlies. Drafted in the first round of the 2020 NBA draft, Bane had played in 313 games and has started in 261 games.

A career 41% 3-point shooter who has a career 17.8 points per game, Bane is one of three NBA players with 800 made 3-pointers and 40% from 3-point since entering the league in 2020.

In his five seasons, Bane has a career of 43.2% on catch-and-shoot 3-pointers, and this past season, he averaged 5.3 assists, showcasing his playmaking ability. For many reasons, this is what Orlando needed, but for a Magic team that was ranked last in 3-point field-goal percentage, Bane is a much-needed offensive boost.

Trade details

Memphis receives:

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ($22.8M)

Cole Anthony ($12.9M)

Magic 2025 first-round pick (No. 16)

2026 first-round pick (either Orlando’s, Phoenix’s, or Washington’s own)

2028 first-round pick (via Orlando)

A conditional right to swap 2029 first-round draft picks (Memphis’s own for Orlando’s own protected 1-2)

A 2029 second from Orlando will be sent if no swap occurs.

A 2030 first-round pick (via Orlando)

Orlando receives:

Desmond Bane ($34M)

More trade rules

Because the contracts sent out were aggregated, Orlando does exceed the second apron. Still, because the trade was after the last day of the regular season and before June 30, the first and second apron levels exceeded are reflective of the 2024-25 season, ESPN’s Bobby Marks reported.

Since the combined contracts of Caldwell-Pope and Anthony are $34.9 million to the $34 million of Bane, Memphis gets the Expanded Traded Exception of 120% + $250K.

The Magic don’t usually make trades to acquire talent, but with significant investments in the core of Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Jalen Suggs, President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman is looking to build a roster capable of winning a playoff series for the first time since the 2009-10 season.

Orlando’s move on June 15 could be a trend on the rise — with the Eastern Conference open, it’s possible to see teams like the Detroit Pistons and the Miami Heat look to make moves to contend.

The 64-win Cleveland Cavaliers will have a contending roster, and so will the New York Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks, as long as Giannis Antetokounmpo is on the roster will be atop the East.

This is just the first of many NBA teams looking to add talent to their content, regardless of the limits they exceed in the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).