Imagine reading this sentence two years ago: veteran guards Tyus Jones and Desmond Bane are joining the Orlando Magic, elevating them as Eastern contenders.
But fast forward, it's a reality. Orlando has earned endless offseason hype for its acquisitions, with Bleacher Report being the latest to lavish praise on the team.
Among its Eastern Conference opponents, they trailed only the Atlanta Hawks on the list, while tying the likes of the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers.
"The Orlando Magic essentially replaced Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, and Gary Harris with Desmond Bane and Tyus Jones, finally addressing their need for backcourt spacing and shot creation. In the case of Bane, the outgoing costs included a whopping five first-round assets. The No. 16 pick in the 2025 draft already conveyed, and most of the rest should fall somewhere in the 20s if the Magic are as good as they expect to be between now and 2030 or so."
Bane and Jones aren't the biggest names, but give the Magic what they need in the backcourt. Bane dropped in scoring last season but logged career highs in field goal percentage (48.4), rebounds (6.1), and steals (1.2). He adds a perimeter threat to a unit that logged a historically bad 3-point shooting season. Meanwhile, Jones is a point guard who can facilitate and set up his offensive playmakers. He also benefits from being on a team boasting the league's best scoring defense last season.
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