The Orlando Magic kicked off the 2025 offseason by acquiring Desmond Bane from the Memphis Grizzlies. Following consecutive first-round exits, the Magic clearly needed to make a change, but some people don’t believe the deal elevated them into title contention.
Advertisement
Orlando gave up Cole Anthony, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and four first-round picks for Bane, and it seems like too much give for too little take.
The crew on Dwyane Wade’s Time Out podcast wasn’t the biggest fans of the trade, especially with the decrease in size at the wing position.
“That was a dumba** trade,” former NBA player Dorrell Wright said. “You just gave up a knockdown shooter and somebody who’s going to go and guard the best player.”
Ironically, Wright isn’t right in his assessment of the deal. Caldwell-Pope does have a reputation as a knockdown shooter, but he had a disappointing year with the Magic. KCP was a 40% three-point shooter during his two seasons with the Denver Nuggets. He dropped to 34.2% from the arc in his sole season in Orlando.
Despite KCP’s down season, Wright doesn’t think Bane’s a good fit in Orlando. Bane may be 6-foot-5, just like Caldwell-Pope, but he is one of the few players in the league with a negative wingspan.
The one thing Wright’s correct about is Caldwell-Pope’s defensive ability, but it’s worth noting Desmond Bane isn’t some slouch on the defensive end. Unlike Wright, Wade is a bit more optimistic about the deal, yet he’s not convinced that Bane is the team’s savior.
“I like Bane for what he did in Memphis. I thought he became a very good player. He is someone who was very dependable behind that line. He can score the ball. I don’t think he puts them over the hump,” Wade revealed.
Wade believes the Magic need to make another move to make the Bane deal more enticing. It won’t be the easiest thing to do, considering the Magic gave up a good chunk of their draft capital to acquire Bane. Wade provided some clarity on how a player who’s not a superstar can demand such a return.
“You’re worth what you can get,” Wade said. “Everything’s negotiable. So Bane was worth KCP, Cole Anthony, and four draft picks.”
The only way to tell whether Bane was worth that haul is by seeing him on the court. With all the injuries in the East, the Magic have the runway to do something special behind the trio of Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Desmond Bane.
