ORLANDO, Fla. — Hallelujah, the rebuild is over.
No, seriously, this time, it’s really over.
It’s finally, officially, historically, euphorically, dramatically, emphatically over.
After a dozen years of painful rebuilding and an endless pursuit of acquiring draft capital, cap flexibility and other future assets, Orlando Magic president Jeff Weltman finally pushed his chips into the middle of the table and went all in on Sunday.
In what will go down as one of the most monumental trades in franchise history, the Magic acquired Memphis Grizzlies star Desmond Bane in exchange for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony and, mainly, a massive haul of future first-round picks.
This move doesn’t just upgrade Orlando’s roster, it sends a clear message to the rest of the NBA: the rebuild is over and the Magic are now in the business of seriously trying to win a championship.
The beauty of the deal is that the Magic acquired a shooting star without having to give up one of their own young stars — Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner or Jalen Suggs. After the Magic were eliminated from the first round of the playoffs for the second consecutive year, Weltman said the team was entering a “win-now” phase. On Sunday, he proved it.
In a blockbuster deal with the Grizzlies, the Magic acquired Bane — one of the NBA’s premier 3-point marksmen — for a hefty price. The Magic gave up four unprotected first-round picks (2025, 2026, 2028, 2030), and a lightly protected pick swap in 2029.
Make no mistake about it, this is Weltman swinging for the fences and making the type of bold, decisive move many Magic fans have been hoping for. At 26 years old, Bane is the prototypical modern NBA guard. He averaged 19.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 69 games last season, and his shooting stats are jaw-dropping. Bane is one of just three NBA players with 800 made 3-pointers and a 40% career shooting mark from deep since entering the league in 2020. His catch-and-shoot percentage of 43.2% ranks third among all players with at least 1,000 attempts over the last five years.
For a Magic team desperate for perimeter shooting, Bane is a godsend. He instantly boosts spacing, complements Banchero’s inside-out game, and gives Wagner and Suggs more room to operate. He is also a tough defender and will fit with the Magic’s gritty DNA. His acquisition means the Magic’s four core players are between 22 and 26 and under long-term contracts.
Magic ownership is certainly showing that it’s financially committed to trying to win a championship. When Banchero signs his rookie extension this offseason, the Magic will be on the hook for about $800 million for their top four players.
Did the Magic give up too much? Hell, no. None of those first-round picks they gave up is going to make a single 3-pointer next season. And if this goes as planned, those picks aren’t nearly as valuable because the Magic should be choosing near the bottom of the draft. The fact is, there’s a reason you acquire all of this draft capital — so you can build your war chest and get ready to go to battle when the time comes.
Well, the time has come.
This trade comes at a pivotal moment in the NBA landscape. The 2025 NBA Finals are showcasing two up-and-coming teams — the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers — both of whom have climbed the standings through smart drafting and timely trades.
The Thunder are the NBA’s youngest team and finished with the best record in the league. Their Finals run proves that age and experience aren’t the only paths to success. The old guard — LeBron’s Lakers, Steph’s Warriors and even Miami’s Heat — are no longer the forces they once were. There’s a power vacuum in the league, and the Magic are stepping into it.
This new-look NBA isn’t about waiting five years to contend. It’s about seizing the moment when your core is ready.
Orlando’s core is ready.
It’s been more than a dozen long years since Dwight Howard forced his way out of Orlando in 2012. Since then, the Magic have undergone a series of false starts and failed rebuilds, never quite able to reclaim the relevance they once enjoyed. From the botched post-Howard era to short-lived playoff cameos led by All-Star Nikola Vucevic, Orlando often found itself mired in mediocrity or spinning its wheels chasing potential.
When Weltman was brought in as president of basketball operations in 2017, the team had no true identity. It wasn’t until 2021 that Weltman pulled the trigger on a complete teardown. He dealt Vucevic, Aaron Gordon and Evan Fournier, essentially burning it all down to rebuild from scratch.
Weltman’s new rebuild was rooted in the draft. Over the subsequent few years, the Magic drafted Suggs and Wagner in 2021 and Banchero in 2022. They also stockpiled draft picks, waiting for the moment to make a trade for what they consider to be the final piece of the puzzle.
Will this lead to a championship? Who knows? But for the first time in over a decade, Magic fans have reason to believe that the franchise is not just rebuilding their house, they’re getting ready to move in.
They’re done collecting assets.
They’re done playing it safe.
They’re done waiting for the right moment.
This is the moment.
The Orlando Magic are contenders.
They’re relevant.
Tomorrow has come.
The future is now.