He can compete with Curry! 7 for 1 big deal: The Grizzlies seem to make a profit, but they are actually a big loser!

The 2024-25 season finals have not ended yet, and some teams in the NBA free market can't hold back. So, the Memphis Grizzlies and Odoran Magic fired the first shot in the trading market! In order to get the All-Star Guard from the Grizzlies, the Magic gave out 2 players + 4 first round + 1 first round swap (Kentavios Caldwell Pope, Kerr Anthony, 2025 first round pick, 2026 first round pick swap rights (switch rights from the Suns or Wizards), 2028 first round pick swap rights, 2029 first round pick swap rights, and 2030 first round picks). This deal was revealed by the well-known ESPN reporter Shams, which quickly detonated the basketball circle. After this 7-for-1 big deal, the Grizzlies made a profit at first glance, but after detailed analysis, we will find that they are actually big losers!

First, let's take a look at the quality of the 2 players and 4 first rounds + 1 swaps that the Magic paid. Pope averaged 10.1 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 76 games in the 2023-24 season. As a defensive 3D ball, he kept his three-point shooting percentage at 40.6%. Since the championship was already available, he scored his net worth around Jokic and finally jumped out of the player option last offseason and chose to join the Magic with a three-year, $6,000,000. The purpose of the Magic is very simple, which is to provide the problem of the team's insufficient three-point shooting ability.

However, after winning a large contract this season, Pope declined across the board, averaging nearly 30 minutes of playing time in the regular season, and only handed over 8.7 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists. His shooting percentage was 43% the lowest in the past six seasons, and his three-point shooting percentage was 34% the lowest in the past eight seasons! In the playoffs, he averaged 32.8 minutes per game, and he averaged only 5 points, 3 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. His shooting percentage and three-point shooting percentage are all only 26%, which perfectly explains what it means to be lying flat after getting a big contract. It is worth mentioning that he is already 32 years old. Such performance is really not worthy of an annual salary of US$2,000,000!

And the young Cole Anthony, although his performance in the regular season is pretty good, has only regressed year by year compared to his previous performance. As of now, he has played in a total of 5 seasons, with averaged from 12.9 points to 16.3 points, 13 points, 11.6 points and then 9.4 points this season, and his rebounding and assists have also remained decreasing. As a player who is gradually regressing, he completed a three-year contract renewal of $3,900,000 with the Magic in 2023, which shows that the team is optimistic about his development, but this season he has experienced a comprehensive decline, far from meeting the team's expectations. In 5 games in the playoffs, he only handed in a dismal data of 2.2 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists, with a shooting percentage of 28% and a three-point shooting percentage of 0%. It is already a success to be able to send away two premium players like this at the same time. Let’s take a look at the draft picks that the Magic have. After a little research, you will find that what is really valuable is the first round pick swap rights in 2026 (the swap rights from the Suns or the Wizards). The other three first rounds are all in the second half of the area, and the value is very average.

Let's take a look at what Bain they got. He has done since he started his NBA career with the Grizzlies in 2020. He played 313 regular season games and 27 playoff games for the team, with averaging 29.6 minutes and 33.2 minutes respectively, scoring 17.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 0.4 blocks respectively; 16.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.5 blocks respectively! In his second season of his career, Bain averaged 21.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game in a single season, and hit 228 three-pointers in a single season, setting a record in the Grizzlies. Since 2020, Bain has made a total of 812 three-pointers, with a three-point shooting percentage of 41%, making him the only third person in the league to achieve this achievement!

Bain's performance has been very stable in recent seasons, but unfortunately, the Grizzlies leader Morant has continued to act and is constantly affected by off-court factors. Although the team can achieve good results in the regular season, there is still a big gap from the strong team in the playoffs! In the past season, there is a popular saying in the league, that is, "Wu Mo Xiong" is more powerful, and the key is Bain's key performance on the outside. As a player with 3D, his 3-point shooting percentage has reached 43.2% in his career so far. According to statistics, this data is the third highest in the league in the past five seasons. In recent seasons, Bain has been the Grizzlies' veritable number one core on the outside. Morant is more exposed in the talent spotlight and has not played many convincing games on the court.

To sum up, the Grizzlies seem to have made a big profit in this 7-for-1 deal, but they actually become big losers. They not only lost a top 3D who has just entered their peak period and has organizational capabilities. Pope and Anthony got both players who are on a downhill and have large contracts with premium. On the other hand, the Magic seem to have paid a lot, but they actually become big winners. They not only get a stable 3D player, but also become a ball-holding point within a certain period of time to relieve the pressure of the dual core. The Magic have been the forefront of the league in the past two seasons. Bain's arrival has solved the problem that the three-point shooting ability is the most important thing, and it also gives the team a big heart player. The Magic next season is worth looking forward to!