The Orlando Magic have completely transformed their identity as a team in a matter of weeks. The process began when they traded Cole Anthony, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, four first-round draft picks, and a pick swap for productive shooting guard Desmond Bane.
It took less than three hours from the start of free agency for the Magic to put the finishing touches on their reinvention by signing point guard Tyus Jones.
Orlando is coming off of back-to-back postseason appearances, but it's yet to win a series with its current core. One of the primary roadblocks was the team's offensive inconsistency, which the Magic have moved to address.
According to Shams Charania of ESPN, the Magic have signed Jones to a one-year, $7 million contract to help solidify the point guard position.
Free agent guard Tyus Jones has agreed to a one-year, $7 million deal with the Orlando Magic, sources tell ESPN. Magic officials negotiated the deal with Jones' agent Kevin Bradbury of LIFT Sports Management, which gives Jones a key role for the East contenders. pic.twitter.com/oR6gTHDyPK
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2025
It may not be as much of a blockbuster as trading for Bane, but the Magic have reinvented their offense with two outstanding moves.
Magic's Desmond Bane, Tyus Jones acquisitions transform offense
Orlando finished the 2024-25 regular season ranked No. 25 in assist percentage, No. 27 in offensive rating, No. 29 in eFG%, and dead last in both assists per game and three-point field goal percentage. Those numbers painted a clear picture: The Magic needed offense in the absolute worst way.
Contextualized by the fact that Orlando ranked No. 29 in points via guards, the offseason strategy has been executed to perfection.
Bane is a high-level shooting guard who has averaged 21.1 points, 5.0 assists, and 2.8 three-point field goals made per game on .477/.394/.883 shooting over the past three seasons. Simply adding him to the rotation should thus enable Orlando to address several of its most glaring issues.
By going the extra mile and signing Jones, the Magic have all but ensured that their offensive production and efficiency will improve tremendously next season.
Jones, meanwhile, has emerged as one of the most responsible and efficient point guards in the NBA. Over the past two seasons, he's averaged 11.0 points, 6.2 assists, 2.6 rebounds, 1.0 steal, and 1.9 three-point field goals made in 27.9 minutes per game on .468/.414/.896 shooting.
Moreover, he ranked No. 1 in the NBA in assist-to-turnover ratio in 2023-24 and remained elite in the category by finishing at No. 2 in 2024-25.
It's also worth noting that Bane and Jones were teammates on the Grizzlies between 2020-21 and 2022-23. They both produced career-years during that time, thriving in a way that helped push Memphis into 50-win territory.
Now teammates again in Orlando, Bane and Jones are the perfect complements to Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and the Magic's rising young core.