The Orlando Magic have their work cut out for them in the upcoming NBA season, but here is why fans should be excited.
We are now within one month of the 2026-27 NBA season kicking off, and with it, there are storylines around the league and plenty of reasons to be excited.
With so many exciting topics and narratives, The Athletic recently assigned one to each of the NBA’s 30 teams. For the Orlando Magic, three words came to mind: a new energy.
What does it mean?
In June 2025, the Magic made a seismic roster move by adding Desmond Bane in a trade that saw them mortgage their draft capital and trade Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Cole Anthony to the Memphis Grizzlies. In May, their 2026 big offseason move was the firing of coach Jamahl Mosley and the hiring of Sean Sweeney in his place.
Orlando is talented, but stuck. Injuries, lack of offense and other flaws and circumstances have limited this team to the first round of the playoffs for three years in a row. It was time for a new voice and a new vision, and Sweeney will provide that.
Sweeney’s hiring was highlighted as the reason to be excited about the Magic’s upcoming season, not just because it was the one big move they made, but because of how coveted Sweeney is around the league.
Before landing the job in Orlando, Sweeney's name was one that was growing rapidly in the sphere of head coaching candidates, and the Magic worked hard to secure his commitment even as he was preparing for the NBA Finals with the San Antonio Spurs.
Now, Sweeney will be tasked with helping the Magic take another step and turn potential into tangible results. The good news is that he is prepared for what needs to be done.
Sweeney’s experience and impact as an assistant have been so extensive that he is expected by some around the league to step into his role and immediately become one of the top head coaches in the league, per The Athletic’s reporting. For some rookie head coaches, it can be an adjustment, but Sweeney might be a stud right out of the gate.
Moreover, Sweeney is not embarking on an uphill battle with a struggling organization that is stuck in perpetual tanking. He is inheriting a good roster that just needs the right person leading it.
Mosley laid the foundation for getting the Magic where they are now, and he deserves credit for that. Now, it is Sweeney’s turn to take the baton, and he has the capabilities to be successful.
