Orlando Magic's Desmond Bane Trade Likened To $75 Million Star

The Orlando Magic's haul of picks they sent to acquire Desmond Bane sent the NBA world into a frenzy. Bane is a fringe All-Star, so sending four unprotected first-round picks seemed like an overpay.

But for what Orlando needed in its frontcourt, this might've been the correct price to pay. One CBS Sports article compared this blockbuster deal with the New York Knicks trading for Mikal Bridges last year.

"When the New York Knicks traded five first-round picks plus a couple swaps for Bridges, it was, in a vacuum, an absolutely crazy package to give up for a guy who has never been an All-Star," the article wrote. "But the Knicks made that deal in the context of their team, not based on what a player like Bridges would or should be worth in a general sense, and it landed them in the conference finals."

And like New York, the Magic had a big hole to fill with the guard play. Their defensive identity made them a dangerous unit for opposing offenses, but the inability to counter in the scoring unit made them one of the most vulnerable teams in the East. Adding Bane gives them an offensive weapon that can shoot efficiently and hit on the perimeter.

"Orlando is making the same bet with Bane, who is not worth four first-round picks in any kind of normal market, but to the Magic specifically, he represents the offensive juice they so desperately need with an elite defense already in place," the article wrote.

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