As the Orlando Magic prepare to open training camp Tuesday ahead of the 2025-26 NBA season, star forward Paolo Banchero admitted he was stunned by the team’s biggest offseason move. The 22-year-old said he “couldn’t believe” Orlando had pulled off the trade to acquire guard Desmond Bane from the Memphis Grizzlies.
In an interview with The Athletic, Banchero recalled his reaction upon learning the news.
“I just didn’t believe it,” Banchero said. “I had a feeling we were going to make a trade. But I felt like there were some guys that were kind of up on the list of who we would maybe trade for, at least in my head, and Desmond Bane was not one of them.”
The former No. 1 overall pick admitted his surprise quickly turned into excitement once he processed the deal.
“So when I heard that one, I was like, ‘Desmond Bane!’ I was like, ‘S—, he’s a hell of a player.’ I was excited. Obviously, he was in the West, so (we didn’t) play him too much, but every time we played Memphis, man, he’d give it to us. And I just liked his whole demeanor and how he played, shooting the 3.”
The Magic landed Bane on Father’s Day in a blockbuster deal that sent Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, four unprotected first-round picks and one first-round pick swap to Memphis. The trade gave Orlando a proven perimeter scorer to slot alongside Banchero and Franz Wagner as the franchise looks to push deeper into the Eastern Conference playoff picture.
Paolo Banchero says Desmond Bane, Tyus Jones bring experience Magic need to contend
Banchero said the addition of Bane, along with the signing of veteran guard Tyus Jones, will have a significant impact on the team’s development this season.
“I think it’s going to do wonders,” Banchero said. “I think it’s going to do a lot of great things, not only on the court but off the court, just with the way they are as people and how they’re able to kind of control a room. They talk with so much experience that you listen to them. Both of them offensively are just really experienced players, and they just know how to play. They have great feels for the game, feels for the court, when to make plays, when to shoot, when to drive.”
The 2023 Rookie of the Year and 2024 All-Star enters the season as the centerpiece of Orlando’s resurgence. He has already led the Magic to back-to-back playoff appearances, including a 47-win campaign in 2023-24, the franchise’s best regular-season mark since the Dwight Howard era. Last season, Banchero averaged 25.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game despite being limited to 46 appearances due to a torn oblique.
With Bane and Jones now in the fold, Orlando begins training camp with heightened expectations. The Magic open their season at home against the Miami Heat on Oct. 22 at the KIA Center.
