The Orlando Magic's surprising blockbuster trade for Desmond Bane kicked off the 2025 NBA offseason before it officially began. Orlando paid a steep price to acquire Bane, but they now have established a formidable young core of Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs, and Bane.
The trade has league-wide ripple effects. For the Portland Trail Blazers, this should signal the end of any Anfernee Simons trade talks.
The Magic already has substantial money tied up in their new core. Bane and Wagner are each set to make roughly $40 million annually, while Suggs isn't far behind. That's not even accounting for Banchero, who is due for an extension and will become Orlando's highest-paid player.
The new CBA makes it virtually impossible for the Magic to build a team around those four contracts on top of Simons.
Anfernee Simons going to Orlando felt inevitable
For years, NBA fans and analysts have been trying to get Simons in an Orlando Magic jersey. Previously, everything pairing Simons and the Magic was largely speculative. However, NBA insider Marc Stein reported in May:
"As a new offseason beckons, another Trail Blazer has been increasingly projected as an Orlando target: Lillard's former Blazers backcourt mate Anfernee Simons. The 25-year-old is an Orlando native who would certainly blend in nicely from a timeline perspective alongside Banchero (22) and Wagner (23)."
Beyond Orlando being Simons' hometown area, the on-court fit made perfect sense. The Magic shot a league-worst 31.8 percent from three and desperately needed a reliable sharpshooter like Simons to help space the floor for co-stars Banchero and Wagner.
As a combo guard, Simons would be able to provide secondary playmaking to ease the burden for Banchero and Wagner. He was also a perfect fit for Orlando's short- and long-term goals. Following Jayson Tatum and Damian Lillard's brutal injuries, the Eastern Conference is open for the taking next season.
The Magic were wise to prioritize Bane over Simons
Besides the obvious need to clear a path for former No. 3 pick Scoot Henderson, the Blazers should consider trading Simons this summer because his contract is set to expire after 2025-26. Odds are, he's going to want more than the $27 million he's currently making.
But if you commit that amount of money to an undersized, offensive-minded guard like Simons, it significantly limits your ceiling. The Grizzlies must have also realized this, opting to pay a premium for Bane, both in terms of assets and contract.
Besides the hometown reunion, everything we said about why the Magic made sense as a top landing spot for Simons can also apply to Bane. He fits their timeline at 26 and provides secondary playmaking and floor spacing, averaging a well-rounded 19.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 5.2 assists on 48/39/89 shooting splits.
The Magic are now a dark horse to represent the East in the Finals next season. But at the same time, Orlando's best years are ahead of them, with Banchero, Wagner, and the underrated Suggs yet to enter their prime.
Time will tell whether Orlando made the right call with such an aggresive trade, as it typically takes years to evaluate a trade like this properly. But they raised their ceiling by electing to trade for Bane instead of Simons.
In the meantime, the Blazers will have to pivot to other landing spots for Simons.