ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic tip off the 2026 NBA preseason Wednesday at Memphis, ending a 157-day absence from the hardwood and sending guard Desmond Bane back to the city where he spent his first five NBA seasons.

The game at FedExForum tips off at 8 p.m. ET and marks the first preseason contest under new head coach Sean Sweeney, the 16th head coach in Magic franchise history. Orlando is treating the matchup as an extension of training camp rather than a must-win.

“For us, we’re looking to do as good of a job as we can at building up our base and building up our foundation, and then, add layers to it,” Sweeney said. “Get strong in our base. And then, build and add as we go.”

Bane, acquired from Memphis in a blockbuster offseason deal in the summer of 2025, averaged 20.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists last season while shooting 39.1 percent from 3-point range and playing all 82 games. Although he completed a full season with Orlando, the Magic’s two regular-season matchups against the Grizzlies were played overseas in Berlin and London as part of the NBA Global Games, making Wednesday the first time Bane has set foot in Memphis since the trade.

“It’s going to be fun to get back,” Bane said. “It’ll be my first time back since the trade. I’m excited to see some familiar faces, playing in the old hometown arena. I’m definitely looking forward to it.”

Bane played 313 regular-season games across five seasons with Memphis from 2020 to 2025. He holds the Grizzlies’ single-season record for most 3-pointers made with 228 in 2021-22 and remains the franchise’s all-time leader in free throw percentage at 88.3 percent. Memphis selected him 30th overall in the draft.

Michael Wallace, senior editor and analyst for the Grizzlies and Grind City Media, said Memphis fans have not forgotten what Bane meant to the organization. “Desmond Bane is a beloved figure with the Memphis Grizzlies,” Wallace said. “He gave everything he had. On the court, he developed into one of the biggest surprises and steals of the draft, being picked 30th overall. The fans haven’t forgotten that. They know what they have in Desmond Bane. He was great, both on the court and off in the community. I think that’s going to be appreciated and respected when he comes in.”

Wallace, who also serves as a board member of Memphis Grizzlies Preparatory Charter School - the only middle school directly affiliated with an NBA franchise - recalled Bane delivering the commencement speech at the school two years ago. “He showed up at the convention center and gave the commencement speech, man,” Wallace said. “And the parents, the kids and everybody - that was the biggest celebrity that they could see outside of Ja Morant in Memphis. And he hung around. Like usually, you get an opportunity, you give your five-minute speech, and then you get escorted out of the back door to go on about your business. But Des wanted to stay around after the speech.”

Magic forward Franz Wagner said Bane’s impact in Orlando has extended well beyond statistics. “It’s been awesome,” Wagner said. “He played every game last year. From that standpoint, he was a big leader in that role. More than that though, off the court and in practices, he’s been not just a leader, but a good person to kind of jell everybody else together. He’s someone who likes to joke and connect people. He’s done that really quickly with everybody here.”

Bane said the preseason opener carries value precisely because it pits Orlando against an unfamiliar opponent. “Once you play against each other for a while, you know what the schemes are (and) you know what to expect,” he said. “I think it will be good to test (ourselves) against a team where we don’t know that as well.”

Memphis enters the home opener having scored 132 points in its preseason debut in Atlanta, including 81 points in the first half after erasing an 11-point first-quarter deficit to lead by 20 at halftime. The Magic’s next preseason game follows Wednesday’s contest as Orlando continues to build toward the regular season.