The Orlando Magic have a fun mix of opponents they will be facing in next season's Emirates NBA Cup.
The 2026-27 NBA schedule will be released on Thursday. But for now, fans of the Orlando Magic will have an idea of some of their opponents.
The schedule for the inaugural Emirates NBA Cup was released on Wednesday, and the Magic’s Group A slate features, in order, games against the Toronto Raptors, Milwaukee Bucks, Brooklyn Nets and Detroit Pistons.
The Magic will kick off Cup action against the Raptors on Friday, Oct. 30, at 7:30 p.m. ET. Then, they will return home to face the Bucks on Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. ET.
Orlando will also host the Nets on Friday, Nov. 20 at 7:30 p.m. before heading to Detroit to face the Pistons on Nov. 24 at 7 p.m. ET. The Magic enjoyed significant success in group play last season, going 4-0 and defeating the Miami Heat in the quarterfinal round before losing to the New York Knicks in the semifinal on Dec. 13.
Now, Orlando prepares for a different group of opponents.
Like the Magic, the Raptors were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs last season. They have attempted to bolster their roster by reuniting with Kawhi Leonard via trade, but the deal has yet to be completed due to Leonard being marred in controversy for questionable endorsements in an attempt to circumvent the salary cap during his time with the Los Angeles Clippers.
It is unclear when the trade will go through and whether or not Leonard will serve a suspension for his role in the matter, and that will make a big difference in Orlando’s chances against a Toronto roster that also has young and talented players.
The Bucks underwent a franchise-altering shift when they traded superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis to the Heat for Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware and Kasparas Jakucionis. For the Magic, there is familiarity with this roster given how often they played the Heat last season as members of the Southeast Division.
The Nets also shook things up with their roster this offseason with additions such as former Magic center Moritz Wagner, guard Keon Ellis and forward Julius Randle. It will be interesting watching Franz Wagner and his older brother compete against one another after being teammates in Orlando for several years.
Finally, the Magic will have a rematch with the Pistons, the team that eliminated them in the playoffs last season, and this will be as close to a playoff-style atmosphere as the two will get in the early days of the upcoming campaign.
There is a healthy mix of opponents in front of Orlando, and it will be worth watching how the team under new head coach Sean Sweeney fares in its first high-leverage matchups of the season.
