Two weeks ago, after the Orlando Magic lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in the No. 7 vs. No. 8 play-in game, putting their season on the brink, Jamahl Mosley on the hottest of seatsl, and the Desmond Bane trade appeared to be a full-on disaster in year one.
Fast forward to today, April 25th, and the Magic have a 2-1 lead over the No. 1 seed Detroit Pistons, Desmond Bane just scored 25 points in a huge Game 3 win, and the Magic have quickly started playing like the Eastern Conference contender the whole basketball world thought they'd be all year long.
Is there a blueprint in Orlando's rebuild for the Trail Blazers?
Potentially. The 2024-25 Magic were awfully similar to the 2025-26 Blazers. They went 41-41, then lost in five games to the Boston Celtics, a title contender in their conference. I don't want to eliminate the Blazers after just three games versus the Spurs, but the course of these Blazers and last year's Magic does appear similar.
Orlando, understanding that the leap from good team to contender would require more talent, made one of the summer's blockbusters, acquiring Desmond Bane from the Memphis Grizzlies for a few bench players and more importantly, four first-round picks.
For most of the season, it actually looked like the Magic may have made the wrong decision, as they struggled to really get going (a lot of that was due to injuries to Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero, though). But talent wins in the NBA, and the talent is coming together at the right time.
Going all-in on a star would fit into Tom Dundon's plan of winning quickly
I don't know how much we should believe Dundon, considering that he stole my wallet the other day, then called me poor, but the Blazers have reached an inflection point in their rebuild. Specifically, Dundon said he wants it to be over, and he wants the winning to commence. For the team to do more than skate around .500, that winning would need to include one more reliable scorer.
Like it or not, I do think Tom Dundon will be looking to make a splashy move this offseason, perhaps something in the vein of the Bane trade. Future draft picks are great, but the Blazers have a good enough roster to make the playoffs, and will add Damian Lillard to the mix next year. What Bane is currently providing to the Magic, a similar near-All-Star could provide to the Blazers. I don't think it's going to be Giannis — right now, my best guess is it will be someone we don't currently know is available for trade. Someone Michael Porter Jr - adjacent is who I have in mind.
Last year, the Magic saw they had probably reached their ceiling with the group they had and decided to push the chips in. This summer, the Blazers' decision-makers might think the same thing. I really, really hope the rumors of Dundon replacing the front office are false, because I trust Joe Cronin to make the move that catapults this roster from the fringes of the playoffs to the thick of the Western Conference.
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