The upcoming season will be a lot different for the Orlando Magic. Can they make the most of it?
The Orlando Magic are just days away from training camp and less than a month from embarking on the 2026-27 season, which will carry a new set of challenges.
In some ways, those challenges will be more difficult for this team to overcome, such as the strength of the Eastern Conference. The East underwent dramatic changes during the offseason, that featured the strengthening of several teams via seismic moves.
Meanwhile, the Magic could not make such a move, nor did their front office want to. The bet is being placed on the current roster, along with some minor tweaks and new head coach Sean Sweeney.
On the latest episode of the Full Court Magic Podcast, I discussed the outlook for the Magic between the beginning of last season and the start of this one, as well as the importance of Franz Wagner’s health as it relates to the success of the team. Here is what I had to say:
"I think that when we view last year, I think the best way to look at it is maybe the best chance externally for the Magic because there were so many questions going into the year about the East. I mean, there was no Jayson Tatum, no Tyrese Halliburton, other injuries, other teams that hadn't shown — we didn't know the Knicks were going to do what they were going to do, but I felt like internally the Magic still had flaws. Desmond Bane definitely helped, but it was another year of Jamal Mosley.
It felt like he had kind of hit his ceiling. There were questions about other parts of the roster. I didn't think that they were going to struggle as much as they did, but I also did not know if the Eastern Conference Finals or the Finals were a realistic goal, even with the addition of Bane, who, to this point, despite showing flashes of it, has never been an All-Star.
And then, when you look at the other part of it in terms of health, yeah, this team needs Franz Wagner, and they needed him in that Pistons series. I mean, he had Cade Cunningham in jail. Cunningham could not do anything with Wagner guarding him. I'm not saying it's the whole reason why the Magic went up 3-1, and it certainly isn't the whole reason why they blew the lead. I mean, no one's soon forgetting that Game 6 collapse, but without a legitimate, bona fide number two on the floor who is a two-way threat the way that Wagner is, it really messed this team up. And I think Paolo did his best.
Could have certainly seen more from Desmond Bane and Jalen Suggs, but health is going to be a big factor for this team. I do agree with you in the sense that because this is a harder conference and a harder landscape with a first-time head coach, that this team could show us some improvement. But I said when I was on RJ Saunders' show that I believe that best case for this team is they just barely escape the Play-In, maybe win a playoff series, but I think they still have a couple of years left until they are truly a contender."
