The Desmond Bane trade checks a bunch of critical boxes for the Orlando Magic, the most important of which isn't being talked about enough: Paolo Banchero's happiness.
And yes, this is apparently an issue.
Matt Moore wrote the following over at the Hardwood Paroxysm Substack (emphasis mine): "There’s real tension to improve the offense not just in the results but the process. Paolo Banchero, sources say, is frustrated with the offense."
Nobody who has even remotely paid attention to the Magic can blame the 22-year-old star for his concerns. Shoddy spacing and a lack of secondary creation have tethered Orlando’s offense to the gutter since he entered the NBA. Over the past three years, the team has ranked 26th, 22nd and 26th in points scored per possession.
That is frustrating for everyone—players, fans, coaches, the front office, Kia Center cotton candy vendors, the whole nine. But it is particularly grating for Banchero. He has been forced to ferry an absurdly heavy workload due to Orlando's roster construction, particularly in the playoffs. Critics also have a tendency to assert that he's part of the problem, because his efficiency doesn't stand out in a good way.
Those Banchero skeptics don’t have sturdy legs on which to stand. You try sustaining quality efficiency in the Magic’s half-court offense, and then come talk to us about Paolo’s performance to date. His total efficiency has climbed each year, and under the circumstances, it’s a moderate to mammoth miracle he’s not faring worse.
Yes, Paolo Banchero's reported frustrations matter
This could have been a "WELP" type of situation for the Magic. Banchero is extension eligible this summer, and while everyone signs new deals coming off their rookie contracts, the team can't afford to risk the contentment and buy-in from its most important player.
Shrug it off if you’re so inclined. But it matters.
Stuff like this can be the difference between Banchero agitating for a player option on the back end of his next deal, and giving the Magic a full five-year commitment, sans any outs. It can also be the difference between long-term harmony, and Banchero developing a case of wandering eyes midway through his extension.
Orlando doesn’t have to worry about this any more. (R.I.P. to ESPN’s studio shows eventually talking about which big-market team Banchero should demand a trade to, though.)
The Magic sent Paolo Banchero and the rest of the league a message
Acquiring Bane is proof of the Magic’s commitment to optimizing the roster around Banchero. The 26-year-old guard is a deadeye shooter, who can create off the bounce for both himself and others. Over the past four years, he is averaging 20 points and four assists while downing more than 40 percent of his 7.0 three-point attempts per game.
Only one other player is doing the same during this stretch. His name? Stephen Curry.
This deal is also evidence of the Magic’s willingness to spend. Landing Bane cost them control of five first-round picks (one is a swap), and they may end up in the second apron as early as the 2026-27 season.
Doing both amounts to a massive show of force—big swings that prove to the rest of the league they’re serious, that Banchero has nothing to worry about, and that this partnership between budding star and team will remain on stable footing for the foreseeable future.