Five things to know about new Magic guard Desmond Bane
When introducing Desmond Bane this past week, Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman described him as 'a player you would design if you could start from scratch.'
Weltman praised Bane for his impact on and off the court, adding that he 'checks every box' for Orlando.
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And the Magic paid plenty in order to acquire Bane from the Grizzlies. Orlando sent Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony and multiple future first-round picks to Memphis.
But there's more than meets the eye when it comes to Bane, who averaged 19.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.2 steals during his fifth season in the NBA.
Here are five things to know about the newest member of the Magic.
1. Bane can drain 'em
The 6-foot-5 guard became the sixth-fastest player in NBA history to reach 500 3-pointers made, according to NBA.com.
How did he accomplish such a feat?
Bane didn't waste time finding his footing from the beyond the arc once he entered the league.
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He became the third qualified player in league history to shoot at least 43% from 3-point range in each of his first two seasons, joining Stephen Curry and Anthony Morrow.
2. More than a 3-point specialist
Weltman has praised Bane's ability as a playmaker and shot creation beyond just his 3-point skillset.
In 2023-24, Bane averaged 5.5 assists and dropped off only slightly this past season at 5.3 assists.
For perspective, the Magic have only had one player the past two years combined to average above 5 assists on a nightly basis.
Paolo Banchero averaged 5.4 two years ago but fell to 4.8 this past season.
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Bane was one of 14 players in the league to average at least 19 points, at least 5 assists and at least 5 rebounds per game and appear in at least 50 contests during the 2024-25 regular season, according to NBA.com.
3. Made mark on Memphis
Any player who spends five years with one organization is bound to leave his name in the record books, and that's true for Bane with the Grizzlies.
Bane departs as the franchise's all-time leader in free throw percentage (88.3%), third in 3-pointers made (812) and fourth in 3-point field goal percentage (41%), according to Memphis.
He holds the Grizzlies' single-season franchise records for 3-pointers made (228 in 2021-22) and free throw percentage (90.3% the same season).
4. Effort goes beyond the court
Last October, Bane launched an AAU program in his home state of Indiana that's run by his non-profit organization.
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The team — which is called 'Baneville Academy' — is for 7th- and 8th-grade boys, and it recently captured a Midwest Spring Circuit championship.
Bane also wants to get to know Orlando on a local level.
'I want to get out in the community,' he said recently. 'I felt like I did a decent job of that in Memphis, and it changes your perspective on it. You've got to turn this place into home like I want to be able to go out to the grocery store and see people that I know and have genuine relationships with them.
'So they're going to get loyalty [and] honesty from me from the start,' he added about Magic fans.
5. He's a Horned Frog
Before Bane was drafted 30th overall in 2020, Bane spent four years at TCU in the Big 12.
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As a senior, he averaged 16.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists during 36 minutes in 32 games. That year, he was the only player to rank in the top 10 in the Big 12 in points, rebounds and assists.
Bane finished his collegiate career ranked third in school history in scoring (1,784 points), third in field goals made (659), first in 3-pointers made (249) and fifth in 3-point percentage (43.3), according to the school.
Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com
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