The Orlando Magic have slowly climbed the ranks in the Eastern Conference.
Following two consecutive postseason appearances, the Orlando Magic have understandably tried to further improve their roster this offseason.
The biggest move that the Magic have made is trading for Desmond Bane from the Memphis Grizzlies.
Not only is Bane expected to impact games with his terrific shooting ability, but he could also become a locker room leader for the Magic.
Photo by Matteo Marchi/FIBA via Getty ImagesDesmond Bane wants Franz Wagner to repeat his EuroBasket skill for the Orlando Magic
Franz Wagner had a breakout year with the Magic during the 2024-25 NBA season. He carried that form into the 2025 EuroBasket as Wagner helped Germany win the gold medal.
A key reason behind Germany’s success was the team’s ability to quickly transition from defense to offense.
According to Bane, the Magic are already a sound defensive team, but they need to improve their transition offense to truly become a threat in the NBA.
“The size that they have on this roster is unreal. You look at Jalen Suggs, a big guard. Anthony Black is a bigger guard. Next to them, you have 6’10” wings and forwards.
“It’s no secret why they were such a good defensive team,” Bane said on the Kevin O’Connor Show.
He added: “It’s about converting on those stops, and getting out in transition is something that Franz just did extremely well in EuroBasket.
“It’s something that I’ve done well throughout my career. Jalen Suggs likes to run.”
Desmond Bane is ‘super excited’ to play for the Orlando Magic
It will be interesting to see if Wagner can bring the same level of urgency to the Magic as he did to the German basketball team.
Either way, transition offense is the only area where Bane currently seeks improvement from the Magic.
“So, I think that it’s going to look a lot different this year, on the offensive end, but a whole lot of the same things that you’ve seen defensively,” Bane stated.
Considering Bane spent his entire career with the Grizzlies, does he feel bad about getting traded? On the contrary, Bane already seems well-settled in Orlando.
“I’m super excited. The guys are really good guys. The organization is just bred on good people. So, it seems like we got a chance to do something special.”
With the Eastern Conference wide open during the 2025-26 NBA season, the Magic could very well emerge as one of the dark horses to lift the Larry O’Brien trophy next summer.