The Orlando Magic have taken the big swing to bring in new talent that they hinted at back when their season ended after being eliminated in the NBA Playoffs by the Boston Celtics.

In exchange for Cole Anthony, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, four unprotected first-round picks, and a first-round pick swap, Orlando receives Memphis shooter Desmond Bane.

KCP averaged 8.7 points per game in the 2024-25 season with 2.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists during his 13th year in the NBA while Bane posted 19.2 with 6.1 and 5.3 in year six. Cole Anthony averaged 9.4 points per game with three rebounds and 2.9 assists per game in a year where starting point guard Jalen Suggs missed 47 regular-season games.

The Magic have been desperate to improve their three-point shooting since two seasons ago, which inspired the acquisition of KCP from the Denver Nuggets. But with the former-Nugget underperforming from beyond the three-point line compared to the rest of his career numbers per year, Orlando hopes the former Grizzlie becomes the bane of their shooting struggles.

Cole Anthony was a spark for the Magic at times last year. He is a clear loss as a locker room guy who was the heart of the team on the floor. However, this does lead Magic fans to believe that Mo Wagner will remain on the team as one who can also play that role to energize the team and be a draw talking to the media.

While Bane disappeared in a first-round playoff exit sweep, similarly to KCP in facing the Western Conference Champion Oklahoma City Thunder, he was five percent better from beyond the arc at 39.2% compared to 34.2% in the regular season. That is in large part due to Pope’s  21 games with no three-pointers made last year compared to Bane’s eight.

With the Magic not acquiring a “true” point guard in the offseason, it appears that they are confident moving forward with starter Jalen Suggs and Anthony Black off the bench to run the offense on the floor.