- Editor’s Note: For the upcoming Sports Illustrated 2026–27 basketball preview magazine that will hit newsstands in October, SI spoke to anonymous scouts around the NBA about all 30 teams.
The Magic had the top-seeded Pistons on the ropes and greatly in danger of a first-round exit as Orlando took a 3–1 series lead on Detroit. Then, the script flipped.
Franz Wagner missed the rest of the series and Orlando blew a massive 24-point lead with a chance to pull off the upset at home in Game 6. Detroit took care of business in Game 7 to fend off what once looked like it could be a first-round shocker.
With the Magic’s season over in the first round for the third straight year, the franchise decided to move on from coach Jamahl Mosley after five seasons at the helm. In walks Sean Sweeney, who was most recently the architect of the Spurs’ defense. He was bound to get a high-level coaching job as a heralded assistant coach for more than a decade. Now, he’s tasked leading the core of Paolo Banchero, Desmond Bane and Wagner to new heights.
Roster wise, Orlando had a quiet offseason. The franchise had to survive the play-in tournament to enter the playoffs after a 45–37 regular season, good for eighth in the Eastern Conference. Although the roster remains the same, the Magic should get a bump with Wagner healthy after he played in just 34 games last season. Still, it’s fair to wonder whether this group has what it takes to contend amid splashy additions and improved competition across the East.
“The Magic’s problem last season was their pieces were the same. Bane, Banchero, and Wagner were all the same player,” an anonymous NBA scout told Sports Illustrated. “They all need the ball. They all need to create with the ball. They didn't have a point guard that could get guys shots.”
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There is Jalen Suggs and Anthony Black. The former isn’t a true point guard, however, as he’s a much better perimeter defender than he is a facilitator. Suggs has taken a step back as a three-point shooter over the last two seasons as he’s dealt with injuries, but he still can knock down shots and space the floor decently well for the core trio. His 5.5 assists per game last season were the most of his career, but the question is whether that’s enough for Orlando to keep the ball moving and the offense flowing.
“If they had an offensive point guard that was a better decision-maker that can run the team and get guys shots and make sure everybody was happy getting enough shots, then that might've worked,” the scout said. “But they had to rely on those three guys getting their own shots because Suggs just isn't a point guard that can create for others and run a team.
“He's not going to be the guy that says, ‘Alright, guys, Paolo hasn't got a shot in a couple of possessions. Here we go. We're going to run this.’ He doesn't have that. He can guard. But on the offensive side, they need somebody to control their game.
“If they had a Chris Paul to make sure everybody was happy, they'd be fine, but they don't. Franz needs the ball in his hands. Paolo needs the ball in his hands, and Bane needs the ball in his hands.”
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Black, the sixth pick in the 2023 draft, has room to grow into the processor that the Magic need. But he may be more impactful as a plus-sized guard who defends the perimeter, grabs rebounds and pushes pace as he gets more volume and grows as a shooter. If Orlando doesn’t take a step in the right direction, the franchise could be forced to address the glaring need at the trade deadline or next offseason, which could come at the cost of the existing core.
Offseason recap
- Who’s in: Nikola Vučević, Jevon Carter (re-signed), Jonathan Isaac (re-signed)
- Who’s out: Moritz Wagner
The reunion with Nikola Vučević is a nice story, but it doesn’t move the needle in terms of a serious addition that will impact the roster. He provides some frontcourt depth, which was needed, but Orlando could’ve used a rim protector to protect the paint alongside Goga Bitadze. Wendell Carter Jr. remains the starting center, but he doesn’t necessarily protect the rim. What Orlando gives up there it gets in floor spacing, which Vučević can now provide as well in a limited role off the bench.
A healthy Franz is the biggest addition for the Magic after he struggled with a nagging ankle injury last year. Then, a calf strain cut his time short in the series against the Pistons. Last year was Bane’s first in Orlando, so more time with him, Wagner and Banchero on the court together benefits the group despite a quiet summer outside of Sweeney’s hire.
SI’s prediction for the 2026-27 Magic
The Magic will be a good team, and a new voice in the locker room in Sweeney may be what was needed needed after three straight first-round exits. However, since Banchero, Wagner and Bane fill similar roles all without a true connector, it’s tough to see this team taking a big step forward in the standings as the roster remains extremely similar. Maybe that makes the Magic a buyer at the trade deadline. As things stand, though, they have to be in the play-in range once again in the gauntlet that is next year’s Eastern Conference.
