The Orlando Magic have a type.
That seems to be how I want to lead all of these articles when I talk about what the Magic are looking for in the offseason. With the team's win-now mandate previewed by the front office at exit interviews, it seemed the Magic might be willing to sacrifice one of those needs.
Perhaps the Magic would target a weak defender if it meant a significant improvement in offensive capabilities. Maybe the Magic would sacrifice size for someone who could score and commit on defense. Maybe the Magic would give up a little bit of something to give themselves a chance.
Ultimately, the Magic decided that was not the direction they were willing to go.
They were not going to push their chips in for any number of the high-scoring guards who might demand more playmaking and on-ball reps. They were not going to invest heavily in a guard who might give them a boost offensively but would take too much away on defense.
Ultimately, Orlando knows the kind of players it likes and believes in the identity it has built. There was never going to be any acquiring a player who did not fit that.
In picking up Desmond Bane, the Magic again doubled down on their core beliefs and values. They again went through the items on their long list of wants in the players they added, and they again excluded players who do not align with that vision.
Bane, in other words, checked all the boxes for the team. He fit the Magic's identity. He was someone who was of them, not someone they had to form fit into their philosophy.
The aggressive move to push for Bane was as much about adding to the team as it was about the confidence in what it is building and confidence in that philosophy.
"We are very thrilled to welcome Desmond (Bane) to the Orlando Magic family," president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said in the press release announcing the trade. "Over his five years in the NBA, Desmond has distinguished himself as one of the elite guards in our league, and we look forward to his shooting, IQ and wide-ranging skill set in helping our team take a step forward. Desmond’s character is held in high regard across the league and we believe he will fit seamlessly with our existing players both on and off the court."
Weltman has always noted that basketball IQ as a key part of his team-building philosophy.
The Magic's penchant for length is really a penchant for versatility. They want players who can do multiple things and unusual things for their role.
Part of why the Magic did not want to chase a traditional point guard is that they do not want a point guard. They want multiple point guards.
Bane is more than a shooter
To be sure, the biggest attraction to Desmond Bane is his career 41.0-percent shooting (he was at 39.2 percent last year in a down year). The Orlando Magic desperately needed the shooting he provided.
But Bane probably is not as much on the Magic's radar without his 5.3 assists per game, his second straight year averaging at least 5.0 assists per game. Those on-ball reps he got as the main creator with Ja Morant out were vital to expanding his game.
That added to Bane beyond being just a shooter. He is not just one thing. He is a multi-dimensional player.
Bane is one of the elite catch-and-shoot options in the league -- he made 42.3 percent of his catch-and-shoot 3-pointers on 2.6 attempts per game. He can play off of the ball and give the spacing for the Magic that they so desperately need.
Bane also hunts 3-point shots. He averaged 6.1 3-point attempts per game last year. He made 37.8 percent of his 3.3 pull-up 3-point attempts per game, according to data from Second Spectrum. Only Gary Harris (55.6 percent on 0.2 attempts per game) and Caleb Houstan (41.7 percent on 0.2 attempts per game) shot better than Desmond Bane.
Bane is a gravity-bending, volume three-point shooting. That is something the Magic desperately needed.
But he can also play with the ball. Basketball-Reference claims his nickname is the "Fly By King." You do not earn that if you are not smart on attacking closeouts -- hitting 3-pointers when defenders fly by or attacking closeouts as they desperately try to prevent a 3-pointer.
That Bane is a solid passer only adds to that versatility. That is the kind of skill the Magic are looking for.
Bane adds to the team's defensive identity
The Orlando Magic, as a team, have an identity. Desmond Bane was brought in to improve the team's outside shooting. But if he could not defend, the Magic would not bother.
Bane does not have the reputation of being an elite defender. He is certainly a downgrade from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
But Bane will hold his own.
He record 2.6 defensive win shares according to Basketball-Reference and had a career-best +0.6 defensive box plus-minus last year. Opponents shot 43.4 percent against him, according to NBA.com's tracking stats, 2.8 percentage points better than expected. He recorded 1.2 steals per game.
He is now entering a better defensive environment than he had in Memphis. Orlando is one of the best defensive teams in the league. And Bane, while not an elite defender, is a willing defender.
The only knock on Bane was the thing that lingered from his draft process. His negative wingspan is about the only thing that does not check the Magic's boxes. But he makes up for it with his effort and everything else he does at such a high level.
Bane certainly does not solve all of the Magic's problems. Instead of grabbing a true playmaker and game manager as a starting guard, they seem to be willing to spread that responsibility among the four big-name players -- Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs and, now, Desmond Bane.
The team doubled down on its team-building philosophy in many ways, even in making such a splashy move. They went for the high-IQ, defensive, versatile player over someone who would not form fit into that mold.
Bane fits the Magic's mold. He checked all the boxes.
Orlando would not compromise. So, of course, this was the move.