Heading into the 2026-27 NBA season, the expectations for the Orlando Magic are unified in a common goal: to take another step in the playoffs. But across the roster, individual expectations may vary.

For example, Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Desmond Bane and Jalen Suggs all carry the brunt of the leadership weight to get the Magic where they want to go. Both tangibly and intangibly, they have to show up consistently for the team. Recently, I dove into this topic with my colleague RJ Saunders of 1010XL Magic.

But what do young players such as Jase Richardson and Noah Penda have to prove? This is another topic we discussed. Let’s get into it.

Last season, both Richardson and Penda were thrown into the fire during their rookie season. Like Tristan da Silva before them, there was no luxury of developing with Orlando’s G League affiliate, the Osceola Magic. 

Instead, Richardson and Penda saw quality NBA minutes. The former played in 54 games and averaged 4.4 points during an average of 10.9 minutes on the floor, and the latter appeared in 59 games and also made two starts. Across the games he played in, Penda averaged 3.8 points in 12.8 minutes per contest.

Injuries contributed to the time that Richardson and Penda played, and it was beneficial for both of them. Before heading to Las Vegas to play in the Summer League in July, both Richardson and Penda talked about their goals for year two.

For Richardson, there are aspirations to become a better defender and a better leader, which are two traits he demonstrated during Summer League. For Penda, there was a desire to clean up rookie mistakes and make sure he is buttoned up for his sophomore season.

Both are very different players, and both can be impactful for the Magic. If Richardson continues to develop, his trajectory can make him a solid rotational point guard, which is a position the Magic can use more of.

Despite Richardson being undersized, he has the traits to succeed in the NBA; he just has to build on them. In Penda’s case, he can become a legitimate 3-and-D player. He stands at 6-foot-7, and a recent encounter I had with him made it clear that he has lost weight and put on muscle. 

Much of the focus will be on how new head coach Sean Sweeney activates his star players, but it will also be interesting to see how Richardson and Penda perform. If they can elevate their respective games in their second season, it will help this team.