Everyone in the NBA was waiting for the domino to fall. They were waiting for the big piece of the puzzle to topple over and send everyone moving to make things happen. The league was in suspended animation.
Around midnight on Tuesday, Shams Charania of ESPN reported the Milwaukee Bucks would trade Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis to the Miami Heat for Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, three first-round picks (including the No. 13 pick), a first-round pick swap and a second-round pick.
With that, the latest superstar trade saga has ended. Everyone can move forward with what is expected to be a busy offseason.
The Orlando Magic are not expected to be very busy.
The team is limited by the league's salary cap rules and seems intent on trying to let its starters get their opportunity to play and be healthy together. That could be posturing at the end of the day.
But the Magic were widely considered to be a team that could push in for Antetokounmpo if they wanted to. They had the best, cost-controlled young star to offer in Paolo Banchero and, after hiring Sean Sweeney, a direct connection to Giannis Antetokounmpo's past.
Despite all of that, Orlando was never a serious contender to get involved. That would go against the team's m.o. It believes in its group.
The question is now: How much, and how good is this team really?
Antetokounmpo joining the Heat, even at such a steep price, certainly make the Heat more formidable than their 43-win season that earned them the 10-seed (and a Play-In Tournament loss). Miami still has to piece together te rest of its roster.
But the reality remains, and this move confirms, the Eastern Conference is looking a lot tougher.
A missed chance in 2026?
If Orlando Magic fans are lamenting their struggles in the 2026 season, it is that it felt like the Eastern Conference was wide open and ripe for the picking.
The Boston Celtics were going to be without Jayson Tatum after he ruptured his Achilles. The Indiana Pacers, the defending Eastern Conference champions, would be without Tyrese Haliburton with the same injury. The Milwaukee Bucks had to move Damian Lillard with his injury to keep competitive.
Three of the typical Eastern Conference contenders were out. The Magic were a dark-horse pick to advance deep into the Playoffs after their bold move to acquire Desmond Bane.
Injuries put them behind the 8-ball from the beginning of the season. Even with the successful addition of Desmond Bane, the vibes were off. The Magic were missing something.
The Orlando Magic were still in the hunt. They finished one game from tying for fifth in the East. But their regular-season-ending loss to the Celtics tumbled them to the 8 seed, where they were forced to go through the Play-In for a second straight year.
The Magic were not far from their goals even with all that frustration.
After going on a seven-game win streak and completing a five-game season series sweep over the Miami Heat on March 14, the Orlando Magic were still 2.5 games behind the Cleveland Cavaliers for the 4-seed. An immediate six-game losing streak ended those hopes and erased the gains to get to 38-28.
It was that kind of season for the Magic.
Orlando failed to meet its base expectations this season. And it has led to a lot of questions about this team and its core group.
Orlando has plenty of reason to believe its starting lineup can be competitive. The Magic are not going quietly after a frustrating season.
But it should be clear from last season how tight the East is. And that is not changing. It is only getting tighter. If an easier path was open, it has now closed.
Everyone in the East believes in 2027
The Orlando Magic are part of a tough Eastern Conference ecosystem. Nobody should be giving up on what this team can accomplish. When healthy, the Magic are just as capable of winning and climbing the standings as anybody.
But the injury to Franz Wagner knocked the team well off course. And this is a tough Eastern Conference. The smallest misstep or an injury at the wrong time could determine any team's future and hopes.
All eight teams that made the Playoffs expect to return. And they are not alone.
Everyone is confident about their chances entering this season and are eager to make moves in the offseason.
The Toronto Raptors used some good health luck to put their pieces together and finish as the 5-seed, taking the Cleveland Cavaliers to seven games. The Atlanta Hawks stole the Southeast Division title from the Orlando Magic with a strong close to the season and a group that seemed bigger than the sum of their parts.
The Philadelphia 76ers got a fairly healthy season to claim the 7-seed. The Detroit Pistons took the step the Orlando Magic could not make to be the East's only 60-win team. The Boston Celtics' culture carried them to the 2-seed (even if they too faltered with a 3-1 lead in the firs tround).
That does not get to the surging Charlotte Hornets, who scared everyone as the 9-seed before the Orlando Magic's experience won in the Play-In Tournament. And now even the Washington Wizards are waiting with Trae Young (and a fresh contract), Anthony Davis and the top overall pick in today's NBA Draft.
The Indiana Pacers get Haliburton back from injury now and added a good veteran in Ivica Zubac to the fold.
And that does not even mention the defending NBA champion New York Knicks.
That is 12 of 15 teams that have realistic Playoff expectations entering the 2027 season. And Antetokounmpo joining the Heat only adds to the intensity and belief of another team to go deep.
Even the Milwaukee Bucks, now free of Giannis Antetokounmpo's shadow, may feel some confidence in their group led by Tyler Herro and Kel'el Ware.
There is some intense competition for the Magic.
Orlando should be good enough to make the Play-In at minimum. Last year as an objectively bad and disappointing season on many levels, and the team still won 45 games and reached the Playoffs. Better injury luck and the team is more than competitive.
The Magic proved as much as anything that at full health they could push the top seed in the East to the brink of elimination.
But the Antetokounmpo trade is a reminder that the East is tough. Everyone believes. And eeryone is capable.
Orlando has few avenues to make its own splash. It is not expected to do anything Earth-shattering. The Magic's path to the top depends on internal development and health.
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