Desmond Bane has officially joined the Orlando Magic after being traded from Memphis on June 15. The deal sent Cole Anthony, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, four unprotected first-round picks, and a 2029 first-round pick swap to the Grizzlies in exchange for Bane.

Speaking with Marc J. Spears for Andscape, Bane described his reaction to the trade. “My GM texted me like, ‘You got a second?’ And I was like, something is about to happen,” he said. “And then I got a FaceTime call from him and I was like, ‘Oh, yeah, something’s definitely come up.’ But no bad blood at all. It’s a business. And I’m fortunate to be in a good situation.”

Bane acknowledged the unexpected nature of the move. “At the end of the season, [Kleiman] told everybody there was a chance that the roster might look a little different. But you’d never expect it to be yourself. You know what I mean? It is what it is.”

Despite the abrupt change, the guard is confident about his role in Orlando. “I’m still young in this league, still fighting for my own stripes,” Bane said. “But, man, it’s a young team, and they’re looking for a voice, looking for somebody to lead and push them. And I have a lot of those qualities, so I definitely feel respect there for sure.”

Bane also spoke about adjusting his leadership style to fit the new team. “I’m probably [using my voice] a little too much early on. I had to back off a little bit. But, yeah, I’m very comfortable. I’m gonna be myself everywhere I go. And nothing is different here.”

Since entering the league in 2020, Bane has consistently been a high-efficiency scorer. He averaged 19.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 5.3 assists during the 2024–25 season, shooting 48.4% from the field and 39.2% from three over 69 games. His playoff experience includes averaging 16.9 points per game across 27 career postseason appearances.

The Magic are expected to lean on Bane’s scoring and leadership as they integrate younger players and aim to improve on recent seasons. With his experience and steady playmaking, Bane’s presence could shape Orlando’s identity moving forward.