The Cleveland Cavaliers are fresh off their best season since LeBron James left the team a second time.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to get to the next level.
The Cavs lost to the Indiana Pacers in the second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs, and after watching Indiana make it to the NBA Finals, it feels like it could be a major threat for years to come.
To add insult to injury, the Orlando Magic, another Eastern Conference rival, have improved by adding Desmond Bane in a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies.
Analyst Anthony Lima recently made a case for the Magic now being a better team than the Cavs.
“Did [the Magic] pass [the Cavs]? Obviously, the one thing they have been missing is shooting. They couldn’t score because they didn’t have that shooting, and now Bane comes in as one of the elite sharpshooters in the league on high volume. He’s incredible. That guy has unlimited range. Last year, [he] showed some ball-handling chops. Running the pick-and-roll. Does a lot of the little things really, really well, and a big tryhard defensively, who you just can’t move that guy,” Lima said, via 92.3 The Fan.
It’s hard to argue with this assessment, at least on paper.
The Magic now have a Big Three of Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Bane.
They also have one of the best defenses in the league, even after moving on from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in the trade.
Orlando is an up-and-coming team that’s gotten better every year, and while it gave up a lot to get Bane, it might be ready to get to the next level after this move.
That spells trouble for a Cavs team that has fared quite well in the regular season but has a long history of shortcomings and struggles when it matters most.
Hopefully, the Cavs won’t rest on their laurels and will also make some moves to keep pace with the rest of the league.
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