Five years after drafting Desmond Bane with the 30th pick only to immediately trade him away, the Boston Celtics are left wondering what could have been as the former TCU star blossoms into a $207 million franchise cornerstone elsewhere.
BOSTON – In the NBA, some trades fade into obscurity while others evolve into lasting regrets. For the Boston Celtics, their 2020 draft-night decision to trade the draft rights to Desmond Bane now falls squarely into the latter category.
As highlighted in a recent Bleacher Report analysis of trades that continue to “haunt” each franchise, the Celtics’ move to send Bane – selected 30th overall – to the Memphis Grizzlies for two future second-round picks has aged particularly poorly. While Bane was no sure thing coming out of TCU, his development into an elite two-way wing represents precisely what the Celtics currently find themselves needing.
“The Celtics could find out they don’t have enough two-way support players around their stars,” wrote B/R’s Zach Buckley. “*And that’s a massive bummer since Boston managed to find that exact skill set at the back end of the 2020 draft. The problem was the Celtics didn’t keep the 30th pick… So, while Bane has since emerged as a perimeter sharpshooter, near-star scorer and willing-and-able team defender, Boston has reaped exactly none of the rewards from his ascension.*”
The sting of this transaction has only intensified in recent months. After signing a five-year, $207 million maximum contract extension with Memphis, Bane was subsequently traded to the Orlando Magic this offseason for a massive return of four first-round picks – demonstrating both his immense value and the potential asset the Celtics let slip away.
While Boston captured a championship in 2023 without Bane, his absence feels more pronounced this season with Jayson Tatum sidelined indefinitely due to a torn Achilles. Bane’s career averages of 18.5 points on 39.5% three-point shooting, coupled with his defensive versatility, would provide exactly the kind of secondary scoring and two-way stability the Celtics currently lack.
The Celtics organization must now watch as the player they drafted but never developed continues to thrive elsewhere, serving as a permanent reminder of how quickly draft-night decisions can reshape a franchise’s trajectory for years to come.