Orlando Magic Could Face High-Priced Complications After Desmond Bane Trade

The Orlando Magic's goal to win a championship was made clear when they mortgaged the future to the Memphis Grizzlies in a win-now move for two-way guard Desmond Bane.

Adding a career 41 percent three-point shooter like Bane to a core of Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs immediately positions the Magic as title contenders in a wide-open Eastern Conference.

With contract extensions for Wagner and Suggs on the horizon, the Magic’s roster is getting expensive fast. Failing to make this lineup work could lead to complications down the road.

In a recent article, Josh Robbins of The Athletic wrote sending out four first-round picks and a future pick swap is risky when already limited in cap.

"The risk is sending out so many draft picks and adding Bane’s significant annual salaries to a Magic cap sheet that, in the age of the punitive first and second aprons, is getting dangerously top-heavy," Robbins said. "Those high salaries wouldn’t be a problem on a team with little additional talent, but they are a concern for the Magic."

It’s worth noting Banchero could be entering his prime when Bane’s contract expires. By then, they will also regain nearly all control of their future first-round picks, giving them flexibility to either rebuild or reload.

This likely signals Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman is content letting the roster grow and develop until the next major move becomes necessary.

"The Magic have made it more difficult for themselves to swing their next blockbuster trade when they identify an additional major roster need down the road," Robbins wrote. "When Orlando inevitably finds itself with a cap crunch or with a roster deficiency, the front office will have to find creative ways to work itself out of salary hell."

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