Morant bid farewell to Bain: 5 years of brotherhood breaking, muscle shooter shoots magic to change the Eastern Conference pattern

Ja Morant's reaction after the Grizzlies traded Desmond Bain to the Orlando Magic, as expected.

In this moment full of personal emotions but expected, Morant posted a photo of the two embracing each other on a social platform, with the caption: "Although it is hard to give up, the friendship is forever, go shine, brother @_dbane1 ". Behind the short and powerful words is a deep emotion that witnesses the sincere friendship they have built on and off the court over the years.

Memphis completed a big deal and sent Bain to Orlando. In return, the Grizzlies have won a combination of picks from Pope, Cole Anthony and a generous draft pick – including the 16th pick in the first round of 2025, the 2026/2028/2030 unprotected first round of picks, and the top two picks protected in 2029.

Magic's goal is to inject a heart-warming agent into the youth army composed of Paul Bancello, Franz Wagner and Jaylen Sages. After stopping in the first round with a 50% winning rate last season, the management believes that Bain's comprehensive skills are exactly what the team needs to break through the bottleneck.

For the Grizzlies who suffered a sweep in the first round and their development was stagnant, this became an opportunity for restart. Obtaining instant combat power and future assets through trading provides the team with rebuilding flexibility. Bain immediately traded to Memphis after being selected by the Celtics at the 30th pick in the first round on the 2020 draft night, and steadily grew into the league's top offense and defense player in the following five years.

While playing for the Grizzlies, Bain played 313 regular season games, averaging 17.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. Last season, it hit a career-high of 19.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.3 assists, with a shooting percentage of 48.4% and a three-point shooting percentage of 39.2%. The 1.96-meter guard not only set a single-season three-point record (2022), but also scored a career-high 49 points in December 2023, becoming one of the league's most deadly catch-and-shooting killers. In 2023, the Grizzlies signed a five-year, $207 million contract extension with him, demonstrating their core position.

Bain's honor book includes the 2021 Rookie second team, the invitation to the 2022 All-Star three-point competition, and the highlight of the playoffs - the first round of G4 against the Timberwolves scored 34 points, averaging 18.8 points per game in the playoffs in the season. He maintained a career three-point shooting percentage of 41% during his time with the Grizzlies, which is a key puzzle for the team's rise in the past five years. The combination of Morant and Bain once defined Memphis basketball: the former tear the breakouts of the defense create space for the latter, while Bain's precise projection punishes any opponent who tries to double-team Morant. Under their leadership, the Grizzlies entered the playoffs four times in five years, and set a team record with 56 wins in the 2021-22 season and entered the second round. Although it eventually lost to the Warriors, this young army has established its status as a strong team in the West.

For the Magic with a three-point shooting percentage of only 31.8% (bottom of the league), Bain's joining can be regarded as the right medicine. In addition to providing stable outside firepower, his defensive and organizational abilities will also share the offensive pressure of Banchero and Wagner. His playoff experience injects scarce veteran wisdom into the young Magic lineup. Although the Grizzlies lost their core scoring points, they have won the defensive experience of champion Caldwell Pope and Anthony's substitute firepower. More importantly, a large number of draft picks have sufficient bargaining chips to rebuild around Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.

As Morant's post shows, professional basketball is inevitable for business decisions, but some bonds exceed the team's roster. They entered the alliance the same year, grew up together, and wrote brilliant chapters in Memphis. Even if Bain embarks on a new journey in Orlando, this brotherhood will remain fresh.

This deal reshapes the future of the two teams: the Grizzlies hold the rebuilding chips in their hands, while the Magic strongly upgrade the lineup. When Morant and Bain embark on a new journey, the legend they wrote together in Memphis will eventually become the most shining footnote in each other's careers.