"He’s a hell of a player" - Orlando Magic star Paolo Banchero reveals shock at trade for $197,230,450 teammate

With the Celtics and Pacers dealing with injuries and rebuilds, the Orlando Magic have positioned themselves as serious contenders in the East. Their biggest offseason move was acquiring $197 million star Desmond Bane. On Friday, forward Paolo Banchero spoke about the blockbuster trade that brought in his new teammate.

In an interview with The Athletic's Josh Robbins on Saturday, Banchero expressed his views on the Magic acquiring Bane and his initial thoughts on the trade.

"I just didn’t believe it,” Banchero said. “I felt like there were some guys that were kind of up on the list of who we would maybe trade for, at least in my head, and Desmond Bane was not one of them."

Continuing to offer his thoughts on the former Grizzlies man, Banchero had nothing but positive remarks.

"When I heard that one, I was like, ‘Desmond Bane!’ I was like, ‘S*it, he’s a hell of a player.’ I was excited," Banchero continued. "Obviously, he was in the West, so (we didn’t) play him too much, but every time we played Memphis, man, he’d give it to us. And I just liked his whole demeanor and how he played, shooting the 3."

Bane, who signed a five-year, $197,230,450 contract with the Memphis Grizzlies last term, was traded to the Magic in a deal that saw Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Cole Anthony move the other way. The guard is an elite perimeter shooter, a role that was missing from the young Magic team.

With his addition to the team, the Magic are real contenders. With the Eastern Conference significantly weakened due to many teams losing key players, Orlando can now consider itself a favorite.

---

Paolo Banchero offers his views on the Magic's new additions and their impact on the team

The Orlando Magic have bolstered their backcourt with the additions of Tyus Jones and Desmond Bane during the offseason. This is a huge win for the franchise, which suffered greatly due to the lack of shooters last term.

During his interview with The Athletic, Banchero opened up on the addition of Jones and Bane, while highlighting their impact on the team.

"I think it’s going to do a lot of great things, not only on the court but off the court," Banchero said. "They talk with so much experience that you listen to them. Both of them offensively are just really experienced players, and they just know how to play."

With the duo joining Banchero and Wagner on the team, the Magic will be eyeing a deep run this term as they hope to build on their progress from last season.