When the Orlando Magic traded for Desmond Bane, the hope appeared to be that he could be for them what Pascal Siakam has been to the Indiana Pacers. One player can only do so much, but the right individual can often act as the glue that binds a vision together.
With the Pacers actively showing how the right trade can turn a playoff team into a true contender, the Magic are dreaming of Bane making a similar impact.
Indiana is in the midst of its first NBA Finals appearance in 25 years and has made back-to-back trips to the Eastern Conference Finals. Acquiring Siakam has played a direct role in that success, as he's thriving as the frontcourt scoring threat they desperately needed.
Back in Orlando, the Magic are facing a similar issue with a glaring lack of scoring from their backcourt—and Bane projects to be an ideal answer to that issue.
Bane and Siakam may not have identical résumés, but their stories are remarkably similar. They've thrived in co-starring roles alongside the likes of Kawhi Leonard and Ja Morant, flown under the radar for their star-caliber contributions without their teams' current or former superstars, and possess two of the more well-rounded skill sets in the NBA.
Compounded by the fact that Bane and Siakam were both traded to teams that were seemingly one piece away, this could be Orlando's moment to follow Indiana's blueprint.
Magic appear to be hoping that Desmond Bane can be their Pascal Siakam
Orlando has been knocking on the door of greatness at various points over the past two seasons. They went 47-35 and took the Cleveland Cavaliers to seven games in 2023-24, and overcame an endless list of injuries to go 41-41 in 2024-25.
For as promising as that success may be, the Magic are in a similar position to where the Pacers were before the Siakam trade: Imbalanced despite their potential.
Prior to making this trade, Orlando was a frontcourt-heavy team. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner are two of the best forwards in the NBA, while Wendell Carter Jr. is a high-level starting center and Goga Bitadze thrived during the regular season as a top-tier backup.
Unfortunately, the Magic's guards ranked No. 29 in the NBA in points per game and three-point field goal percentage, No. 28 in field goal percentage, and dead last in assists per contest.
With Bane, Orlando can take an immediate step forward from ranking among the worst in the NBA to having a borderline All-Star at shooting guard. Over the past three seasons, he's averaged 21.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.1 steals, and 2.8 three-point field goals made on .477/.394/.883 shooting.
If nothing else, Bane should send the Magic rising up the rankings in scoring, three-point shooting, and assists by simply doing what's become a regular occurrence for him.
Desmond Bane is the shot creator the Magic desperately needed
Beyond the numbers, Bane is a player who has proven capable of thriving both alongside a ball-dominant point guard and without their presence on the court. Morant missed no fewer than 21 games over each of the past four seasons, and Bane responded by improving his shot creation and playmaking skills.
On a team with Banchero and Wagner, that seemingly implies that Bane will be able to both work without the ball and create with it in his hands.
Perhaps there's no such thing as a perfect fit, but Bane certainly seems to check all of the boxes. He should vastly improve Orlando's spacing and three-point shooting while giving them the shot creator and playmaker they desperately need out of the backcourt.
Compounded by the fact that Bane comes from a defensive-minded culture in Memphis, the Magic's supposed overpay just gave them the tools to follow in the Pacers' footsteps.