0 three-pointers were made, and Bane fell off a cliff! The Magic sold 5 in the first round to create a 7-for-1 trade, is it a loss?

At the beginning of the season, he made only 7 of 29 three-pointers. Marksman Bane's performance plummeted! The Magic, who are aiming to compete for the championship in the offseason, spent a lot of money to sell 5 for 5 in the first round, and will they lose money in the 7-for-1 gamble?

The Magic ended their 4-game losing streak.

After losing to the Pistons in the previous game and suffering a 4-game losing streak, the Magic continued their road trip to Charlotte to challenge the Hornets. In the end, the Magic defeated the relatively weak Hornets 123-107 to end their 4-game losing streak.

Although they won their second victory of the season and ended their 4-game losing streak, the Magic, which has made extensive reinforcements during the offseason and aims to compete for the championship, has only recorded 2 wins and 4 losses in the first 6 games since the start of the season. The performance is still far below expectations.

What’s even worse is that even though the team is winning, new aid Bane still hasn’t found his form. Will the Magic lose money on their huge gamble of selling 5 for 5 in the first round?

Bain fell off a cliff

Bain played 28 minutes in this game, making 4 of 11 shots and 0 of 2 three-pointers. He only scored 9 points, 4 rebounds and 7 assists. He also made 4 turnovers and 4 fouls.

This is also the epitome of Bain's overall performance since the beginning of the season. In the new season, Bain averaged 16.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game, with an overall shooting rate of only 42.5%.

What makes the Magic even more disappointed is that since the beginning of the season, Bane has made only 7 of 29 three-pointers, with a shooting percentage as low as 25%. Not only is his three-point shooting rate a career low, but his average of 4.8 shots per game and 1.2 hits per game are also the lowest since his rookie season.

This also means that the Magic's three-point shooting level is still at the bottom of the league. The three-point shooting rate of 31.2% is third from the bottom in the league, and the 44 three-pointers made at the beginning of the season are second from the bottom in the league.

Bain's poor competitive state has obviously also affected the Magic's performance. So far, the Magic have only achieved 2 wins and 4 losses, ranking 11th in the Eastern Conference. They have not shown any momentum to compete for the championship this season.

Not only has the offense not improved, the Magic's defense has also declined. In the top ten list of offensive efficiency, defensive efficiency and net efficiency for the new season recently announced by the US media "Kalshi Sports", the Magic were all eliminated.

Will I lose money in a 7-for-1 gamble?

Such a performance is obviously unacceptable, because in the offseason, the Magic only acquired Bane through a 7-for-1 deal, selling 4 first-rounders + 1 first-round swap at a huge cost.

In this deal, the Magic not only sent out immediate players Pope and Cole Anthony, but also the No. 16 pick in the 2025 first round, the 2026 unprotected first round (whichever pick is higher between the Suns and Wizards), the 2028 unprotected first round, the 2030 unprotected first round, and the right to swap the 2029 first round (only the top two are protected).

Both the quantity and the quality of the first-round picks can be said to be full, especially the unprotected first-round pick in 2026 is bound to be a high lottery pick.

The reason why the Magic are willing to give out such chips is, on the one hand, because Bane, as a prolific three-point shooter, perfectly meets the team's reinforcement needs, and on the other hand, it is also because the Magic see the hope of winning the championship.

Due to Tatum's serious injury, the original Eastern Conference hegemon Celtics ushered in a "transition year". Coupled with Haliburton's serious injury and the Pacers' decline, many Eastern competitors, including the Magic, saw hope of breaking out of the Eastern Conference and completed lineup reinforcements.

Therefore, it is very reasonable for the Magic to complete a 7-for-1 trade in the face of such an opportunity. It is difficult to directly deny the success of this deal based on the performance since the beginning of the season. Whether they can eventually reach the playoffs and what kind of performance they can deliver in the playoffs are the core elements of judging this deal.

Especially considering that the Magic's schedule at the beginning of the season is too intensive and they are one of the few teams that have already played 6 games. There is no time to adjust and run-in through training. In addition, the Magic seriously lacks shooting points and has two inherent cores of Benqueiro and Wagner. It is understandable that Bain's status fluctuated at the beginning of the integration.

I believe that as the schedule progresses, Bane and the Magic will soon have a strong rebound with more training and integration within the team.