The Orlando Magic may have a noisy offseason around them, but the most important decision probably won’t come with Paolo Banchero or Franz Wagner at the center of it.
That’s the view being pushed back on after Law Murray of The Athletic suggested the current season could be the last shot for the Banchero-Wagner pairing in Orlando. Murray’s power rankings placed the Magic 18th, and the read was clear: this could be the duo’s final run together.
But that idea doesn’t hold much water for the Magic’s front office, at least not from this perspective. Even with the East expected to be much tougher and the roster facing real questions about whether it matches the cost, the belief is that Orlando is not about to tear up the foundation. The team was also limited by First Apron restrictions during free agency, which made its options thinner than usual.
The bigger point is simple: Banchero and Wagner are still too early in their rookie max deals to be treated like movable parts. Wagner’s combination of size, defensive versatility and All-Star-level scoring is the kind of thing teams almost never find.
Banchero, meanwhile, is the face of the franchise and the clear No. 1 option. The argument here is that Orlando has already invested too much in both players to walk away now.
That also fits the way this front office operates. Jeff Weltman, the president of basketball operations, has consistently backed this group and pointed to what it can become when healthy.
This isn’t a team expected to make seismic changes, and it especially doesn’t sound like one that would move off players it views as central to the franchise. That’s even more true after just the first year under incoming head coach Sean Sweeney.
If Orlando were to make a bigger move, the more realistic name is Jalen Suggs. His contract is seen as depreciating, and his playoff series against Detroit last season was described as a nightmare.
He averaged 11.1 points and shot 29% from the field and 24.4% from three. There’s also a fit issue in the backcourt with Suggs and Desmond Bane, since neither is really a true point guard.
Suggs brings the better defense, while Bane brings the better offense.
So while the conversation around Orlando may keep circling Banchero and Wagner, the more likely pressure point is elsewhere. The idea is not that the Magic are done changing - just that the first names out the door, if it ever comes to that, would more likely be Suggs or maybe Wendell Carter Jr., not the two young stars the franchise has built around.
In Other News...
Magic Put The Pressure On Banchero And Wagner This Offseason
The Magic have spent the offseason sending a clear message about where they want to build from, and it starts with Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. Under president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman and new head coach Sean Sweeney, Orlando has leaned into continuity, choosing to keep its core intact even with the Eastern Conference looking tougher around it.
That approach also puts the spotlight on the players the front office seems most willing to trust long term, while leaving others around the roster a little less secure. For now, the expectation is that the Magic will hold onto Banchero and Wagner and sort out any other changes first, a sign that Orlando still sees its best path forward through those two young stars. [Read more 🡒]
Magic Need One Young Forward To Break Through Under Sean Sweeney
The Magic are entering the Sean Sweeney era with a familiar priority: keep the core of Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Desmond Bane driving the offense while finding enough support around them to make the roster deeper and more dangerous. After last season ended in playoff disappointment, the next step is less about reshaping the top of the rotation and more about identifying which young forward can grow into a dependable piece behind the stars.
Tristan da Silva has already given the front office a reason to believe, after showing improved efficiency last season and positioning himself for a bigger leap. Noah Penda also fits the profile of a player who could benefit from a new coachs eye, with his promise and versatility making him one of the more intriguing names on the roster. For Orlando, the question is not whether the front line has talent, but which of those developing forwards will seize the opening Sweeney creates. [Read more 🡒]
Magic Supporting Cast Could Face Early Pressure If This Season Slips
Sean Sweeneys arrival as the new head coach and the return of veteran center Nikola Vuevi were meant to signal a step forward for Orlando, a roster built to make more noise in the East. Even with those moves, though, there is still a sense around the team that the real test is not just getting back to the playoffs, but getting past the first round, where progress has been harder to prove than project.
If the season goes sideways, the conversation could quickly shift from improvement to fit, especially with the supporting cast under a harsher spotlight. On a recent podcast, the focus landed on which pieces might become expendable in a disappointing year, and that kind of chatter tends to follow a team when expectations rise faster than the results. [Read more 🡒]