Desmond Bane happy to be out of the Memphis “dungeon”

It was the trade that tipped off the offseason. Desmond Bane was sent to the Orlando Magic for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony and a load of future draft picks.

Bane is “super excited” in Orlando

Ok, ok. There is still one, maybe two games left in the NBA Finals, and it’s not like we are overlooking that, but with as juicy as this offseason promises to be, we can afford to look ahead. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant are just a couple of the names that could be on the move this summer, but before the main course the Magic and Grizzlies wet our whistle with the first ripple in the trade pool.

Bane made his first appearance in a Magic jersey on Tuesday afternoon and it seems like he is fitting in quite nicely in Orlando. According to reports, Bane put Orlando as one of the top destinations of places he wished to be traded. He hasn’t met a lot of the people he will be playing with or being coached by, but they have already reached out to welcome their newest teammates.

“I’m super excited to be here,” he said. “All the guys, they’ve reached out and hit me up. The front office, the support staff – everybody has been real, real supportive. You can tell there’s an excitement in the air as well as expectations. Expectations are healthy. I feel like we have the roster to be able to do some really special things.”

Orlando a “breath of fresh air”

Not only does he move down south where year round sunshine awaits him, but he is already starting to get cozy with the facilities in Orlando. He compared his new place of work to his previous employers surroundings, and things seem drastically different.

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It’s different bro. The [facilty] in Memphis, we in’t have not one window. We joked around and called it the dungeon. But this is a breath of fresh air. You literally can step outside, get a breath of fresh air, and eat on the patio. There’s an indoor-outdoor training facility. All the bells and whistles are in here and it’s great. But I feel like the people are really what’s going to make this place special.”

The Magic are a team on the rise and they are a couple pieces away from being a real competitor in the Eastern Conference. Paolo Banchero is the star of the show, but guys like Franz Wagner and Wendell Carter Jr. are going to be big contributors in the year to come. Bane is coming to bring a different look in Orlando. Last year he posted 19.2 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists and shot 39.2% from three. He’s one of the top shooters from distance in the league and he’s going to be a welcomed edition for the Magic.