Desmond Bane reacts after the Memphis Grizzlies were called for a foul against the Golden State Warriors. Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Orlando Magic In For Long Postseason Run If Desmond Bane Meets Expectations

Originally posted on Orlando Magic on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated Jul 13, 2025 11:20 AM ET

The Orlando Magic are making moves in the Eastern Conference, trading for Desmond Bane and signing Tyus Jones in free agency.

Jones will likely come off the bench for the Magic while Bane checks in with Jalen Suggs as starters in the team's backcourt.

Bleacher Report thinks Bane could be a massive difference-maker for Orlando's starting lineup.

"The Magic have a young, talented roster, but they were too imbalanced to make much noise in the past. After paying a small fortune for Bane to help correct that with his scoring punch and secondary playmaking, they're hoping to strike in the wide-open Eastern Conference," Bleacher Report wrote.

"If Bane checks as many boxes on the offensive end as the Magic think he can, they should be off and running. And this is the group that will set the stage, assuming there are no setbacks with Suggs' return from March knee surgery."

Should Suggs get injured, Jones can step in as the team's starting point guard. Regardless of who is in the backcourt, the Magic should have what they were missing last season in the form of Bane.

Bane brings another playmaker, pick-and-roll partner and 3-point shooter to the mix, which the Magic needed desperately, especially when Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner went down with identical oblique injuries.

If Bane and the Magic can stay healthy, they should be one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.