The Orlando Magic and new guard Desmond Bane are drawing praise across the league as attention shifts toward the 2025-26 season. In the NBA’s annual general manager survey released this week, the Magic earned top recognition in multiple categories, while Bane was voted one of the most undervalued offseason additions.
With the regular season set to tip off in two weeks, Orlando emerged as the overwhelming choice for most improved team, earning 47% of the vote — well ahead of the Atlanta Hawks and Philadelphia 76ers, who tied for second at 20% each.
Bane topped the most underrated acquisition category, receiving 17% of the votes, followed by Denver’s Cam Johnson (13%) and Atlanta’s Kristaps Porzingis (10%). The 26-year-old guard also placed second for acquisition expected to make the biggest impact, collecting 17% of votes behind Houston’s Kevin Durant, who led the field with 73%.
Injuries derailed Magic’s 2024-25 campaign but fueled key offseason changes
The Magic’s presence across the survey’s major categories represents a clear shift in perception. After a 2024-25 season marred by injuries and inconsistency, Orlando finished 41-41 and fell to the Boston Celtics in five games in the first round of the playoffs. The Celtics, defending champions at the time, were later eliminated in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Injuries played a defining role in Orlando’s season. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner both sustained torn oblique injuries that sidelined them for extended stretches, disrupting the team’s offensive rhythm and depth. Banchero, who earned his first All-Star selection the previous season before being sidelined, still finished the year averaging 25.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game. Wagner averaged 24.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.7 assists before suffering his own oblique tear in December.
Jalen Suggs underwent arthroscopic surgery in March to remove a cartilage fragment from his left knee, ending his season prematurely, while Moritz Wagner tore his ACL in December and missed the remainder of the campaign. The injuries forced Orlando to adjust its rotations and rely heavily on its bench, testing the team’s overall depth and adaptability.
Despite the setbacks, the Magic showed growth under head coach Jamahl Mosley and entered the offseason determined to strengthen their backcourt and shooting. The front office addressed those needs by acquiring Desmond Bane from the Memphis Grizzlies and signing veteran point guard Tyus Jones to a one-year deal.
Desmond Bane and Tyus Jones’ arrivals position Magic among East’s rising contenders
Bane’s combination of efficiency, shooting, and physicality has been viewed around the league as an ideal complement to Orlando’s young core of Banchero, Wagner, and Suggs. Last season with Memphis, he averaged 19.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 48.4% from the field and 39.2% from three. Over his career, he has maintained a 41% three-point mark — a consistency that should immediately help a Magic team that ranked near the bottom of the league in perimeter scoring efficiency.
Jones, meanwhile, brings stability and leadership to the second unit. The 29-year-old averaged 10.2 points, 5.3 assists, and 2.4 rebounds last season with the Phoenix Suns while shooting 41.4% from beyond the arc. His experience running different offenses and managing tempo is expected to complement the team’s defensive identity.
The survey also recognized Orlando as the third-best team in the Eastern Conference, receiving 60% of the vote behind the Cleveland Cavaliers (63%) and New York Knicks (53%). The acknowledgment signals that the Magic’s progress is no longer going unnoticed — their development, personnel upgrades, and improving offensive structure have positioned them among the conference’s rising contenders.
With Bane’s arrival, Jones’ veteran poise, and a healthy core returning, Orlando enters the 2025-26 campaign with momentum and credibility. The Magic open the season on October 22 at the Kia Center against the Miami Heat, aiming to validate the growing belief among league executives that they are ready to contend for a top-tier playoff run.
If the team can maintain its health and consistency, the GM survey may prove prophetic — not just a reflection of optimism, but an early sign that Orlando’s breakthrough season is finally on the horizon.
