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Last night, the Memphis Grizzlies acquired Desmond Bane out of TCU with the 30th pick, after a trade with the Boston Celtics. However, the details of the trade came a bit slower, as Boston was waiting on the option decisions of a few of their players. Now, it’s official.
Portland is acquiring Boston's Enes Kanter in a three-way deal with Memphis, sources tell ESPN. Memphis gets Mario Hezonjia and 30th pick (Desmond Bane) from draft night deal as part of trade too. Celtics get a future Memphis draft consideration.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 20, 2020
Desmond Bane, the obvious prize of this deal, is arguably the best shooter in his draft class. He also started to climb up boards due to his tremendous potential as a secondary playmaker, his work ethic, and his perfect fit in the modern NBA. Last season, he averaged 16.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.5 steals, while shooting 45.2% from the field and 44.2% from deep. In addition, he shot 43.3% on 575 3-point attempts in his 4-year career at TCU. His fit in Memphis is awesome, as he’s another playmaker that can space the floor and defend multiple positions. He can really be the steal of the draft.
Mario Hezonja, the 5th pick in the 2015 draft, hasn’t lived up to his status at all. In 5 seasons with 3 teams, Hezonja has averaged 6.9 points and 3.1 rebounds, while shooting 41.7% from the field and 31.9% from 3. Last season with Portland, he averaged 4.8 points - on 41.7% shooting from the field and 30.8% shooting from deep - 3.5 rebounds. His roster status will be interesting. Maybe the Grizzlies take a flier on him, or they use him in another deal.
Memphis will be dealing draft compensation to Boston. Picks TBD.
Finally, we can all breathe knowing Desmond Bane is officially a Memphis Grizzly.
Stats found on sports-reference.com
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