Shooting Their Shot: Orlando’s Win-Now Bet on Desmond Bane

Daniel Waddleton

Jun 16, 2025

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WHILE THE LEAGUE has built its identity around the three-point line during the pace-and-space boom, the Orlando Magic are still playing offense behind the eight ball. They haven’t ranked higher than 24th in three-point percentage in any season this decade -- and this past season they officially hit rock bottom, finishing dead last at just 31.8% from beyond the arc.

Last summer, Orlando got their feet wet, signing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to a sizable deal in free agency. Despite his track record as a reliable 3-and-D contributor on multiple championship teams, KCP delivered a disappointing season, shooting just 34.2% from three. At the end of the day, it didn’t move the needle.

This summer, there would be no more half measures. The Magic have made the first major splash of the offseason, acquiring Desmond Bane from the Memphis Grizzlies in a blockbuster deal.

According to Shams Charania of ESPN, the Grizzlies are sending Bane to Orlando in exchange for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, four unprotected first-round picks, and one first-round pick swap.

On the surface, this trade addresses one of Orlando’s most glaring needs. Bane is a career 41% shooter from deep on over six attempts per game. However, I see this move as more then just one that represents a nice basketball fit.

This trade signals blood in the water, and Orlando smells it. With all due respect to the Indiana Pacers -- in the midst of a spectacular run -- the Eastern Conference feels wide open heading into next season. The Celtics could be heading into a mini reset, and nearly every other contender in the East has questions.

Several teams in that middle tier are expected to take big swings that could potentially shift the power in the East. Orlando just made theirs.

The Magic believe they can win now and this move shows it. Despite having one of the youngest rosters in the league, they made a veteran win-now move, trading a haul of future assets for a plug-and-play offensive weapon. It’s an aggressive bet on internal growth while fixing the biggest roster weakness.

According to Synergy Sports, he knocked down 51% of his open threes last season. For context, the Magic ranked dead last in open three-point percentage at just 35%. Bane immediately gives them a massive boost in spacing and the ability to better capitalize on collapsing defenses.

Bane isn’t just a floor-spacer either. According to the Thinking Basketball database, he averaged 11.9 drives per 36 minutes last season with a 55.6% true shooting percentage on those drives -- landing in the 83rd and 67th percentiles leaguewide. He can attack closeouts as a second side scoring and playmaker.

Playmaking is an underrated part of Bane's game that should also help Orlando next season. He averaged over five assists per game last season and posted a 0.97 assist-to-usage ratio -- a metric that accounts for how often a player creates for others relative to how much they handle the ball. That figure ranked in the 86th percentile among wings.

His box creation -- an estimate of shots created for teammates per 100 possessions -- was 8.2, placing him in the 85th percentile leaguewide. Over the past two seasons Bane has taken leaps as a pick and roll operator, something that should add another layer to Orlando’s offense. He looked especially comfortable in that role last season in Memphis.

Defensively, Bane will likely be the weakest link in Orlando’s core lineups, yet I'd argue that says more about the Magic than it does about him. This team finished second in defensive rating last season, littered with defensive talent. While Bane is far from a wing stopper, he’s solid. His size and strength for his position will allow him to fit into a versatile and switch heavy Magic defense.

As far as what this means for the rest of the roster, this move is another clear bet on the continued growth of Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero -- two offensively gifted young wings still figuring out how to coexist as primary creators.

The Magic may of had the chance to use this draft capital on players like Darius Garland or Anfernee Simons -- elite three-point shooters in their own right, but with more on-ball primary built into their game. Instead, they opted for a cleaner off-ball fit. Bane provides spacing and secondary playmaking without compromising the team’s defensive identity the way a Garland or Simons likely would have.

This decision reflects the same approach Boston used to build its championship roster -- two big wings taking the reins offensively, with the rest of the roster filled out by two-way spacers and connective tissue. Some of these high-usage guards can chip away at a team’s defensive identity, and Orlando, a team clearly committed to that end of the floor, prioritized someone like Bane.

How far they go now depends on internal growth. This is a team that should finish in the top four of the East next season, but their ceiling will be shaped by the continued development of their two stars.

Can Franz rediscover his three-point shot? Can Paolo clean up his efficiency and take that next step as a playmaker? These are the questions that will define just how far the Magic can rise as soon as next season.

AS FOR MEMPHIS, this is a fascinating move. One that could signal a number of different directions the team is preparing to head towards.

Is this a simple retool? Shedding Bane’s contract to create some flexibility ahead of Jaren Jackson Jr.'s next deal? Are they planning to flip these assets and go big-game hunting for somebody like Kevin Durant?

Or is this the beginning of a pivot in the opposite direction -- a direction out of the Western Conference spotlight entirely? Could a Ja Morant trade be next? Maybe the Grizzlies see a loaded conference and have doubts about their ability to contend in the near future. An OKC-style rebuild could be on the table: cashing out their core pieces for draft capital and bottoming out for a couple of years.

Right now, the signals are mixed. It’s hard to tell which direction Memphis is leaning, but their next move will likely be far more revealing. This is only the beginning of what’s shaping up to be a wildly fun and fascinating summer around the association.