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Orlando Magic Called Out By Bomani Jones After Desmond Bane Trade

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nick Meyer | Last updated Jun 17, 2025 9:28 AM ET

The Orlando Magic made a bold move recently as they dealt Cole Anthony, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and four first-round picks to the Memphis Grizzlies for high-scoring, smooth shooting guard Desmond Bane.

The deal helped to round out the Magic's roster with a scoring guard capable of making an immediate impact for coach Jamahl Mosley's team, which has shown promise in recent years but was knocked out of the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs by the defending NBA Champion Boston Celtics in five games.

On Monday, former ESPN host and currently Wave Sports Entertainment host Bomani Jones shared his thoughts on the trade, including critical thoughts on the plans and state of the Magic franchise.

"Regardless of what valuation you put on these late round first round picks, in this era of NBA parity, I do not think that you can make the assumptions about how good you might be for how long...It's a team (the Magic) that doesn't have a frontline superstar.

"And so to me without the presence of a front line superstar, I don't understand what they're doing. I do not feel as good about the idea, with your two best players being Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner," Jones added.

"I think at best it's a handful of low spades, and I think that Desmond Bane is somebody that qualifies as a low spade. I'm not saying they can't be trumps..." Jones continued on his show, 'The Right Time With Bomani Jones,' in a clip shared Monday.

Bomani Jones slams the Orlando Magic

"The Magic don't have a frontline superstar ... I don't understand what they're doing."

( @righttimebomani )

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