7 for 1 for 1! The first deal was born in the offseason, and the strongest dark horse in the East is here! We will definitely compete for the championship next season

The finals are not over yet, and the NBA trading market is already in full swing. I thought the KD transaction would be the first to start, but I didn’t expect that other teams were also making trouble silently. The first major deal this summer’s offseason was born. According to Shams Charania, the Memphis Grizzlies and Orlando Magic completed an epic deal of 7 for 1. The Grizzlies sent Desmond Bain to the Magic, getting Cole Anthony, Caldwell Pope, four first rounds and one first round swap. These four first-round picks are the 16th pick in the NBA draft this year, the Suns' unprotected first-round pick in 2026 (or interchanged with the Wizards), the Magic's 2028 first-round pick, and the Magic's 2030 first-round pick. All these four first-round picks are unprotected.

At a glance, the deal was not only sudden, but also a bit outrageous. Bain was worth four first rounds, and he had never even been selected as the All-Star. Is the Magic suspected of disrupting the market? It’s like the Timberwolves got Gober’s 10 for 1 deal, and they also paid 4 first rounds. ESPN famous reporter Brian Windhorst commented on the deal on the show. He believed that the Magic paid too much chips: "If you have to pay such a big price to get Bain, then how much do you have to pay if you want Kevin Durant? They are not only paying for Bain, but also spending money to deal with Pope. I think the price is a bit outrageous. This matter cannot be compared with the direct introduction of Durant."

However, the Magic obviously also has their plans. In Shams's words, Magic President Jeff Weltman made it clear that they will adopt an aggressive and immediate victory strategy in the offseason, and will lock in immediately once there is a chance of a deal, and will pay a lot of money. In addition, on the surface, the chips given by the Magic are too generous, but after careful analysis, you will find that they are not as exaggerated as we imagined. First of all, the value of the four first-round picks is average, and the probability of high picks is relatively low. Secondly, the Magic don’t need first-round draft picks now. Their team building ideas are quite clear, and there is no lack of absolute core in the future, that is, No. 1 pick Banchero. What the management needs to do is find a suitable helper for Banchero to make up for the shortcomings in the lineup.

Then, the two players sent by the Magic, Anthony and Pope, were already considered negative assets for them, and the premium was too serious, so it was fine to give it away. Among them, Pope's contract has two years and $43.2 million, his salary is $21.6 million next season, and Kerr Anthony's contract has two years and $26.2 million, and his salary is $13.1 million next season. Both of them have performed poorly this season, especially Pope, who suffered a cliff-like decline and once won one championship in the Lakers and Nuggets as top 3D players in the league. However, in the Magic this year, Pope averaged only 8.7 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game, with a three-point shooting percentage of only 34.2%, 6 percentage points less than last season, and the 3D attributes were gone. In the worse playoffs, Pope averaged only 5 points per game in five games in the first round and shot 26%.

Finally, the Bain obtained is a perfect match for magic. The Magic have already established a team-building core and have also grown rapidly in recent years. From a bottom team to a playoff level, they have entered the playoffs for two consecutive years, but they have all stopped in the first round. They need an opportunity to make a bigger breakthrough. Judging from the performance this season, the Magic's playing style is too obvious. They are based on defense and have a slow pace of the game. They like to play positional battles and rely on inside confrontation to slowly score. Their strengths and weaknesses are clearly distinguished, and their shortcomings are undoubtedly in projection. In the regular season, the Magic's three-point shooting percentage was only 31.8%, ranking last in the league. In the playoffs, the Magic's three-point shooting percentage was 26.3%, ranking last among the 16 teams in the playoffs, and Bain happened to be one of the first three-point shooters in the league. According to statistics, Bain is one of the only three players in the NBA who have made 800 three-point shootings and 40% of three-point shooting percentages since entering the league in 2020. His three-point shooting percentage has reached 43.2% in the past five seasons. For the Magic, which is the last three-point shooting percentage this season, Bain's arrival will bring a huge improvement. Next season, the Magic starter five Tigers will become Sages, Bain, Wagner Jr., Bankairo and Carter. The strong team should not be underestimated. Becoming the strongest dark horse in the Eastern Conference team is bound to win. For the Grizzlies who sent Bain away on the other side, they may face more choices, whether to continue to build a team around Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., or to rebuild in a comprehensive manner. After welcoming Anthony and Pope, the Grizzlies' lineup already has 7 defenders, and they are likely to continue to execute other trades.