Magic boost 2025-26 title odds with Bane trade

The Magic acquired Desmond Bane from the Grizzlies on Sunday in exchange for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, four unprotected first-round draft picks, and one first-round pick swap.

The trade boosted Orlando's 2025-26 championship odds from +4000 to +2200 on theScore Bet/ESPN Bet - the fifth-best odds in the East, behind the Pacers, Cavaliers, Knicks, and Celtics.

At first glance, it might appear like the Magic gave up a haul for a player who's never made an All-Star team. But Bane is the perfect fit for the Magic, who are trying to make the jump from a playoff team to a championship contender in a weakened East. Orlando, which hasn't won a playoff series since 2010, was the league's worst 3-point shooting team last season at 31.8%. Its top-three defense over the last two seasons carried it to consecutive postseasons, and it was in desperate need of offensive help.

Caldwell-Pope was considered a marquee free-agent signing last summer after shooting 40% from three in consecutive seasons with the Nuggets. However, he was a massive disappointment, shooting 34.2% from three, his lowest mark since his rookie season, and averaging just 8.7 points per game. Orlando successfully distanced itself from Pope with a monumental upgrade. Bane is a career 41% 3-point shooter who can play in spot-up roles and as a pick-and-roll ball-handler.

Bane can also assume playmaking responsibilities, table-setting for franchise cornerstones Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Jalen Suggs. The five-year vet averaged more than five assists the last two seasons. When Ja Morant missed most of the 2023-24 season due to suspension and injury, Bane assumed more ball-handling duties. His season was eventually cut short, but he averaged 23.7 points and scored 0.989 points per possession as the pick-and-roll ball-handler, one of the league's top marks, per Synergy. Banchero's drives and passing ability create open shots for his teammates, but the Magic have never surrounded him with reliable shooters. Bane fixes that dilemma. He's also a tenacious defender who will work well in a relentless defense.

The Grizzlies' odds went in the opposite direction. Memphis' odds to win the 2025-26 title moved from +6600 to +10000 following the deal, tied with the Suns and Kings for the 10th-best odds in the West. Part of the reason for the massive drop is that the franchise traded its third-leading scorer, but another crucial factor is Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.'s uncertain future. Morant and Jackson are eligible to sign contract extensions this summer, and Memphis must decide if it's willing to invest in a duo that hasn't produced successful playoff runs.

The Magic, who hadn't actively traded for a player since Markelle Fultz in 2019, took a major swing by sacrificing future draft capital for a win-now guard who should be a seamless fit. The Eastern Conference is wide open, and injuries to Jayson Tatum and Damian Lillard are impacting the Celtics and Bucks' chances next season. Compared to the crowded West - nine of the 14 teams with the best odds to win next year's championship reside in that conference - there's a window of opportunity in the East, and the Magic are seizing it.

The odds suggest this trade puts them one step closer to a championship.

Sam Oshtry is a sports writer at theScore. You can follow him on X @soshtry for more betting coverage.