Where Do Orlando Magic Rank In East After Desmond Bane Acquisition?

The Orlando Magic's acquisition of guard Desmond Bane has shifted the team's expectations for next season.

Orlando was initially pinned as a fringe postseason contender with a lackluster backcourt. Now, with a solid two-way option, they can enter the upper echelon of a wide-open Eastern Conference. One CBS Sports article pinned the Magic as a dark horse championship contender after the blockbuster move.

"If the Magic are in the Western Conference, they do not make this move. But in the East? The simple truth is you don't have to be as good to be a real contender," the article wrote. "You can understand Orlando's brass looking at the Pacers, who had 66-1 odds to win the title to start the season and 80-1 at the beginning of the playoffs, playing in the Finals and convincing themselves they're a Bane-like player away from potentially making the same kind of run."

Bane averaged 19.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.2 steals last season, shooting 48.4 percent from the field and 39.2 percent from 3-point range. His addition will add a perimeter threat to complement Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero. Their frontcourt scoring is their catalyst, but the inability to hit from the outside illustrated the need for help in that department. Should Bane provide that addition, they may be in the mix of a conference that doesn't boast any current frontrunners.

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