Orlando’s magic went all-in and went into winning mode following a massive trade with the Memphis Grizzlies.
In exchange for Kentavious Caldwell Pope, Cole Anthony and potentially five first-round draft picks, the Orlando Magic acquired Desmond Bain.
It’s safe to say that trade has taken many surprises, but the signs were already there. For example, Memphis Grizzlies GM’s end-of-season comments suggest this move.
But coming to the magical reasoning behind the movement, former NBA star Gilbert Arena blatantly labelled the trade as “silly.”
Because of that value, Bain comes out of a season of averaging 19.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game for the Grizzlies.
On paper, it makes sense to add talented scorers like him to the roster, but arena is simply not sure of the price the magic paid to trade with Bane.
“They’re not getting away, they’re just stupid. It’s literally Orlando’s magic. There’s a team out there that doesn’t care about their future. There’s a dynasty built from decisions like this,” Arenas said at Gill’s arena.
“The deal is ok, it’s a pick and not protected, you could have at least the top three.
“But they really don’t care to build right now. They win now, but they’re not enough to win now,” he added.
The Magic finished as the seventh seed of the Eastern Conference with a 41-41 record in the 2024-25 NBA season. Entering the playoffs, they were sent home in five games by the Boston Celtics in the opening round.
The problem, however, is that East is likely to be widely open next season, with Jason Tatum losing key time due to his injuries and the Celtics reportedly are about to blow up their nuke.
The Philadelphia 76ers, Cleveland Cavaliers and the New York Knicks are as inconsistent as ever. If everything goes well, the Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers could prove to be obstacles to the magical path to reach the NBA Finals.
So trading in win/loss mode was certainly the right choice. But was it a wise decision to give up four unprotected draft topics?
Magic includes Paolo Banchelo, Franz Wagner, and Jalen Saggs.
Now, adding talented stars who can drop 20 points on any night could potentially contend for the championship for most of the next decade.
Ultimately, that means the magic will stay in the lottery, and the picks they give up will likely land between 20th and 30th in the NBA Draft. So yes, the magic may have gambled, but it’s calculated.