ESPN Insider Strongly Defends Orlando Magic Trade Package For Desmond Bane

The Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks are the favorites in the Eastern Conference next season. Right behind them are the Orlando Magic and Atlanta Hawks. They are among the two teams that have made the biggest strides during the early portion of free agency.

"I think the teams that have made the biggest leaps over these last couple of weeks have been the Orlando Magic and the Atlanta Hawks," ESPN's Insider Tim McMahon said Wednesday on Get Up.

Some are predicting the Magic as a contender in the East, especially with the Indiana Pacers (Tyrese Haliburton) and Boston Celtics (Jayson Tatum) without their best players for most of the next season. The Magic beefed up an already strong roster with a trade for Desmond Bane and signing Tyus Jones.

McMahon has no problem with the Magic giving up four first-round picks for Bane, who joins Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner.

"The Magic a couple weeks ago, their trade for Desmond Bane, you could look at the picks package and accuse them of overpaying but this is a guy that's going to be a great fit for a team that had a glaring need for some offensive punch, for some juice in that starting lineup, as a guy who can creat," McMahon said. "This is a team that's pouncing on the opportunity. They haven't won a playoff series since Dwight Howard was in Orlando."

ESPN's Bobby Marks is also excited about the Magic's offseason moves.

"I think you can't overlook certainly Orlando and Atlanta, two teams that have a lot of progress in the offseason," Marks said.

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