Jalen Suggs Says Desmond Bane Trade is a 'Huge Boost' for Magic amid NBA Title Hopes
Jalen Suggs believes the Orlando Magic's acquisition of Desmond Bane will provide the team with a "huge boost" going forward.
"Bringing another dog into our roster," the star point guard said during an appearance on SportsCenter (1:30 mark). "Everything from what I've seen, playing against him, and from what I hear from people who have been around him, is that his mentality is elite. You can see his shooting ability has been top of the league the past couple of years. His ability to play off the catch, another versatile ball-handler, down the line we can play 1-4—even 5 with [Wendell Carter]—everybody with the ball in their hands, making plays and being aggressive against closeouts."
Bane's scoring (17.8 PPG across five seasons) and shooting (41 percent from three in his career) will be a major boon to an Orlando team that reached the postseason behind an excellent defense but averaged just 105.4 points per game (28th in the NBA) and shot just 31.8 percent from three (30th).
The Magic paid a steep price to add Bane and upgrade the roster, sending the Memphis Grizzlies Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, four unprotected first-rounders (2025, 2026, 2028 ,2030) and a first-round pick swap (2029).
But if Bane proves to be the missing piece and helps the Magic get over the hump in the Eastern Conference, nobody will be concerned with the price they paid.
