As bad as things got for the Memphis Grizzlies during the last two months of the 2024-25 season, nothing will top what the Dallas Mavericks fans had to endure after trading franchise cornerstone Luka Doncic. The city of Dallas took another hit this week when the NFL's Dallas Cowboys traded away star defensive end Micah Parsons in another shocking move from a franchise in the same city that traded Doncic earlier in the year.
The Grizzlies didn't have a trade to match the level of those moves, but trading Desmond Bane provided its own shocker within NBA circles. With trades being a big deal throughout all sports, let's look back at some of the most shocking trades made by the Memphis Grizzlies in their franchise history.
Desmond Bane traded to Orlando Magic (2025)
The Grizzlies didn't enter this offseason with the intention of trading the player they appeared to make their third star, alongside Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. However, after falling from the two seed to the eight seed and being swept in the first round of the playoffs, trading Desmond Bane wasn't off the table, especially considering his near $40 million contract.
The Orlando Magic needed shooting in the worst way and offered the Grizzlies a deal you couldn't refuse for a player who has never made an All-Star team. Garnering four first-round picks and a needed veteran 3-and-D player in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was more than enough to let arguably their best shooting guard in franchise history move on.
Rudy Gay traded to the Toronto Raptors (2013)
The Grizzlies' franchise was in transition when they traded for Rudy Gay, days after he was selected with the eighth overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets. He immediately became one of the best scorers on the team and was an integral part of the development of the team, transitioning to the Grit and Grind era.
However, his fit with starting big men Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol, and with Tony Allen starting at shooting guard, became clunky. Spacing was needed to get the best out of that team, and Gay was the player the team decided to trade in return for Tayshaun Prince, Ed Davis, and Austin Daye. Prince, a former NBA champion, helped the team make their first and only Western Conference Finals appearance that season.
Pau Gasol traded to the Los Angeles Lakers (2008)
Rudy Gay began his first two NBA seasons starting next to Marc Gasol's brother, Pau Gasol, before the team traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers to officially trigger a rebuild. Gasol led the team in scoring every season since he was drafted with the third overall pick in 2001. He requested a trade due to the team's lack of success during the 2007-08 season and got his wish when they traded him to the Lakers for Marc Gasol, Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, Aaron McKie, and two first-round draft picks.