The Magic’s first few days of training camp have already brought a little caution with them, as guard Anthony Black is day-to-day after a minor ankle sprain suffered during voluntary workouts ahead of camp.
New Orlando coach Sean Sweeney said Wednesday that Black’s status isn’t viewed as a major concern. Sweeney didn’t specify which ankle was affected, but he made it clear the team is taking a measured approach with Black and second-year forward Noah Penda, who also tweaked his hamstring.
“(We’re) just being smart about it, especially with two practices in a day,” Sweeney said inside the AdventHealth Training Center after the morning session on the second day of camp.
Both Black and Penda were on hand for the media-viewing portion of practice, though their work was limited to rebounding and passing during shooting drills. Sweeney said the two-a-day setup - one practice with contact and one without - is helping the staff install its system while also splitting the workload into manageable pieces.
“With two practices, we don’t want them doing too much twice a day,” Sweeney said.
He also pointed to the advantage of returning a roster that largely looks the same as it did a season ago. That familiarity, Sweeney said, makes communication easier as the team works through the early stages of camp.
“Familiarity always helps with some understanding,” Sweeney said. “In general, I like the way the guys work together and how they’ve approached everything. Going into July, August, September now (and) as we move into October, this group’s done a great job of working together.
“I love the communication that we have, just in general,” he added. “They do a good job of respectfully discussing - like, say if a guy needs feedback on something or if he needs acknowledgement - they do a great job of it.”
Black’s injury comes at a notable moment for the fourth-year guard, who is entering the final season of his rookie contract and is eligible for a rookie-scale extension. The timing matters because Orlando has already locked in Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs on extensions, and last summer the team traded for already-extended Desmond Bane.
That creates a crowded financial picture for the Magic. Orlando already has $161.2 million in salary committed to Banchero, Wagner, Suggs and Bane for the 2027-28 season, and adding Wendell Carter Jr.’s $19.5 million pushes that total beyond $180 million for just five players.
The cap environment only adds to the challenge. This year’s salary cap was set at $164.9 million, with the tax level at $200.4 million, and the Magic are positioned to pay a luxury tax for the first time in more than a decade this season.
Team president Jeff Weltman addressed that reality on Monday at media day, while still leaving room for an agreement with Black.
“Always hopeful, but I don’t know what that means. We’re in a lot of tighter quarters than we’ve been in years past,” Weltman said.
“I know that he’s got great representatives. We believe he’s a bright young player in this league who’s just going to get better and better, and we’ll have continuous conversation with his people up until the deadline.
And we’re hopeful that we can arrive at something.
“But if not, we expect Anthony to have a great year,” Weltman added. “(Extensions) don’t always get done right now.
Sometimes they get done later, so we’ll see. But I don’t want to kind of make any predictions or anything.
I know that you know both sides have the best intentions.”
The extension deadline is 6 p.m. on Oct. 19, one day before the regular season begins.
If no deal is reached, Black would be a restricted free agent next summer. That would allow him to sign an offer sheet with another team, though Orlando could keep him by matching it. He also could become unrestricted if the Magic choose not to qualify him.
Black, a Dallas native, missed time late last season because of a left lateral abdominal strain, but still posted career-best numbers of 15 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 29.8 minutes per game over 64 regular-season appearances. Across his first three seasons, he has played in 211 of a possible 246 regular-season games, or 85.7%.
He sounded hopeful on Monday about reaching a deal with Orlando, while also acknowledging the reality facing the franchise.
“It would be great to get that done,” Black said on Monday. “The team’s in a weird spot with that, but yeah, I’m trying to stay where my feet are.
I’m focused on getting better every day, and helping my team out. And if that happens, that would be great, obviously.
“But it’s a business,” he added. “They’ve got things they’ve got to worry about.
I’ve got things I’ve got to worry about. So, if it happens, it happens.”
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