Under president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman, the Orlando Magic have often avoided making any significant trade or free agent signing. In fact, the organization has been radio silent on both fronts in recent years. But this summer, that all changed.
The Magic finally took a swing, trading a big haul for Memphis Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane. Before the trade, Weltman expressed the goal to capitalize on a win-now mindset, and the front office delivered. As a result, Bleacher Report can only describe Orlando’s offseason in one word: Finally.
“The Orlando Magic basically swapped out Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony and Gary Harris for Desmond Bane and Tyus Jones, at long last addressing their lack of three-point shooting and backcourt playmaking,” it wrote. “The cost of that exchange was high. Orlando surrendered four first-rounders and an additional swap to get Bane from Memphis, but the Magic should be good enough over the next handful of seasons to ensure most of those selections fall somewhere in the 20s.”
“Bane is a career 41.0-percent sniper from long range, a breath of fresh air in an offense best described as stifling for far too long. Orlando's 31.8 percent hit rate on threes last season was the worst ever produced by a team that got up at least 2,800 total attempts. The Magic's shooting and overall offensive production has been in desperate need of upgrades for years, and they finally got some.”
Beyond his perimeter presence, Bane is a legitimate scorer overall, averaging 17.8 points during his career. Adding the 27-year-old will give the backcourt a boost and give Jalen Suggs a chance to focus on his bread and butter as an elite defender.
Tyus Jones isn’t a marquee signing, but he provides additional backcourt depth the Magic can use after coming off an injury-ravaged season. Jones also boasts one of the best assist-to-turnover ratios in the league, which is sure to help Orlando’s offensive production.
“Jones won't be as impactful, but the Magic also needed some point guard insurance in case Jalen Suggs endures another injury-hit season,” it added. “A mistake-free game-manager, Jones is basically a walking safety blanket.”
Finally, everything is tied together by Paolo Banchero’s new five-year deal.
“Paolo Banchero got his no-brainer rookie-scale max extension, ensuring the Magic's core is fully set after Franz Wagner got his own deal last summer.”
All the pieces are in place for Orlando to position itself as a contender in an Eastern Conference landscape with a ton of unknowns. Any team can rise to the top, and the organization is not interested in squandering the opportunity.