Orlando Magic Gamble on Desmond Bane as Right Hand to Go All-In With

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant, Trae Young and Zion Williamson are the biggest names being discussed as the top prizes available this offseason. The Orlando Magic acquired none of them, but stealthily made a move on par with landing one of those franchise-changers in June’s first major NBA move.

If anyone you listen to for basketball analysis shrugs about Desmond Bane being picked up by the Magic, change the channel or walk away. Orlando has added a major piece to its core without moving any of its three biggest building blocks, Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs.

Bane didn’t come cheap, but nothing worth having ever does. For a franchise eager to push in its chips for a seat at the Finals table, landing one of the league's top two-way players cements how serious it is about winning the franchise's first championship despite no playoff series wins since 2010.

Bane has never been an All-Star, but that honor may be in his immediate future. He turns 27 years old on June 25, will be entering his sixth season, and has averaged 20.2 points over his past four as a full-time starter with the Memphis Grizzlies. He’s a career 41 percent 3-point shooter, gets after you on the defensive end and has averaged over five rebounds and five assists over his past three seasons.

While stuffing the stat sheet is great, Bane’s best attribute is his attitude. He’s tough without being a goon, which will fit right in with the temperament Jamahl Mosley has already instilled. The Magic are stingy defensively and don’t back down from a challenge.

Bane, who fit right in alongside standout defenders like Jaren Jackson Jr. and Dillon Brooks during his time in Memphis, will upgrade Orlando’s offense without compromising its defense. He’s on the short list of standout two-way shooting guards.

So how were the Magic able to pry him away from Memphis if he’s so great?

Simply put, they gambled that their first-round picks over the next few years won’t be that valuable. Orlando president Jeff Weltman is going all-in on the “win now” mandate he referenced after the Magic’s latest first-round playoff exit. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies are in a transition period, having just fired Taylor Jenkins prior to being swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in April’s first round.

Memphis, eyeing a long-term reload, is getting pick No. 16 in a deep draft later this month, a ‘26 selection which will be the least desirable of the Suns/Wizards picks coming the Magic’s way, unprotected picks in ‘28 and ‘30 and a top-two protected pick swap in ‘29. That’s steep, but if Orlando is a perennial championship contender, only the Phoenix/Washington selection next June is likely to be a lottery pick. 

The Magic also got out from under Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s huge contract after the veteran shooting guard produced his lowest scoring output since his rookie season (8.7 ppg) and hit rock bottom in missing 22 of 30 shots in the five-game playoff loss to the Boston Celtics. That in itself offers a major boost.

Orlando signed Caldwell-Pope to a three-year, $66 million deal last offseason in the hopes he’d be the missing piece and veteran leader on a franchise looking to take the next step, but that plan flopped. Fan favorite Cole Anthony was also signed through 2027 and had some great moments, but he’d lost minutes to Anthony Black and was often a liability on the defensive end. 

Fortunately, Anthony’s offensive prowess made him attractive enough that the Magic could use him to entice a trade partner, so it was always likely that his future would lie elsewhere. Bane’s two-way excellence makes him a massive upgrade on both players headed Memphis’ way, so winning this deal will hinge on him staying healthy and helping Orlando not only win a playoff series, but compete for championships. 

Hanging a banner or two is the end goal for the Magic, and the mandate to top the 50-win mark and make the first-round picks that will perennially head Memphis’ way through 2030 less valuable lands squarely on Bane’s shoulders. 

Speaking of which, Bane has had issues with his shoulders, back and feet that have cost him games over the years, but he’s a gamer who mixes it up. He’s topped the 70-game mark only once, but he’s not an oft-injured risk whose body is breaking down. Entering his prime and locked into a five-year, $207 million deal through ‘29 that was the most lucrative extension in Griz history when signed in the ‘23 offseason, Bane is primed for his most productive run.

Coming off a season where he averaged 19.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists over 69 games before struggling against OKC as Memphis was swept, Bane's trajectory is trending upward. He joins Stephen Curry as the only players since '20 who have made 800 3-pointers while shooting over 40 percent from beyond the arc.

If Giannis and Zion are indeed not going anywhere, Orlando added one of the best players set to move in an offseason where few teams have money to spend. The Durant domino is likely next to fall and Young may be moved, but those guys don’t fit in with the Magic’s defense-first identity.

On paper, Bane fits in about as well as anyone the Magic could’ve envisioned acquiring possibly can. The expectation is he’ll upgrade the league’s most anemic perimeter attack while strengthening an already sound defense. Barring injury-related misfortune, Orlando hit a Father’s Day homerun.

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