Why the Magic's new star trio is on the rise

The Orlando Magic are entering the 2025-26 season with a new star trio of Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Desmond Bane, who the Magic acquired in a June blockbuster.

If you look around the league's landscape, it's not the best. You have Oklahoma City's behemoth coming off their first title, as well as the Denver Nuggets and the Cleveland Cavaliers. But the Magic's triumvirate is on the rise, according to ESPN's Tim Bontemps.

"Orlando's season going sideways last year when Jalen Suggs suffered a knee injury is a sign of just how important he is -- despite the fact that he, unlike Banchero and Wagner, is not on a max contract," Bontemps wrote. "But Orlando paid a king's ransom to land Bane -- a perfect complement to its three young homegrown players -- this summer, and Suggs is still sidelined with the knee injury, so Bane moves into the core for this group.

"The Magic's season will likely hinge on whether Banchero and Wagner can make improvements in their efficiency this season -- which, if they can, could lead to huge success in a wide-open East."

The Magic have one of the NBA's best young cores:

Apr 27, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (22) and forward Paolo Banchero (5) celebrate after a basket against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the third quarter during game four of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

You could argue that the NBA is as deep as it's ever been -- at least in the 21st century. Everywhere you look, teams are overflowing with talent -- some raw, some more polished -- which is where the beauty lies with the current landscape of the sport.

And the Magic have some of the league's best young talent -- led by Banchero, Wagner and Bane. The Magic's three stars are entering their age-23, 24 and 26 seasons, respectively.

Banchero, a former No. 1 overall pick, is two years removed from his first career All-Star appearance and posted a near 26-7.5-5 stat line last season, albeit in just 46 games; Wagner is coming off a very encouraging summer with Germany in EuroBasket after averaging 24.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.3 steals in 60 games in 2024-25 (while dealing with injury); Bane is one of the best shooters in the world and, to Bontemps' point, perfectly complements this trio.

That doesn't include Jalen Suggs, Wendell Carter Jr., Tristan da Silva and Jase Richardson, among others. Orlando's a young team, but there's no question that this group -- especially their aforementioned trio -- is ascending, especially if they can stay healthy and avoid the nasty injury bug that plagued them a year ago.

The Magic have one of the NBA's best young cores:

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