Deciphering the 2026 First-Round Pick the Grizzlies Acquired for Desmond Bane
This post will explain the pick swap situation for the 2026 first-round pick the Grizzlies acquired from the Magic and give scenarios to show how it can benefit them.
The Orlando Magic completed one of the most efficient rebuilds in recent history. Their core is built mostly on their trade sending Nikola Vucevic to the Bulls in 2021. The return brought in the Franz Wagner selection and put them in a position to bottom out and select Jalen Suggs and Paolo Banchero. They’ve been patient these past four years, developing their players before making any big additions.
Yesterday, they made one of the most aggressive trades in the history of their franchise by acquiring Desmond Bane. They haven’t traded one of their own first-round picks since 20161 and went ahead and traded four for him. They became the fourth team since 2022 to trade four of their own first-round picks in the same trade2. They’ll look to make a deep playoff run in a wide-open Eastern Conference.
Meanwhile, the Grizzlies accomplished one of the greatest asset flips in NBA history. They are in a position to reload with young talent or package some of those picks for win-now help. One of those selections they received, a 2026 first-round pick, has the potential to be valuable. However, it has layers of pick swaps that make the situation confusing. This post will explain the pick swap situation and give scenarios to show how it can benefit the Grizzlies.