Desmond Bane Sends Clear Message on Magic Star Paolo Banchero originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Orlando Magic wasted no time in improving its roster this offseason. Even before the 2025 NBA playoffs ended, the Magic traded for Desmond Bane from the Memphis Grizzlies to solve some of their concerns. One of the areas the Magic needed to address over the summer was their offensive options.
Outside of their star forwards, Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, the Magic didn’t have another player who could create shots. By trading for Bane, the organization solved that problem. The addition of the 6-foot-5 guard also gives them another outside shooter.
During the 2024-25 season, Orlando had the worst 3-point shooting and made only 31.8% of their attempts.
On Thursday, Bane was invited to appear as a guest on the program, “The Zach Lowe Show.” During his appearance, the newest member of the Magic spoke highly of Banchero. According to him, he believes that the former Duke star could rack up multiple All-NBA selections throughout his career.
“Obviously, Paolo is going to be a first team All-NBA type guy for probably multiple years in his career,” Bane said.
Last season, Banchero had another All-Star season, averaging 25.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists. Unfortunately for the young forward, he wasn’t selected for any of the All-NBA teams.
The reason is that he only appeared in 46 games and didn’t meet the 65-game requirement for players to qualify for NBA awards. Staying healthy is key for Banchero to be considered for the awards. He missed 34 games due to a torn oblique injury.
Playing at least 65 games isn’t an issue for Banchero. He won the Rookie of the Year in 2023 and played 72 games. He followed that up with an 80-game season in his sophomore year.
Bane also believes that he can fit “like a glove” with Orlando’s young squad.
“I think that it fits like a glove and my skill set is something that can really help take some pressure off of Franz, Paolo, Suggs, and all the guys.”
With another scoring option in Bane, the Magic could be an interesting team to watch for the 2025-26 season.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.