The Orlando Magic didn’t make a splash at the trade deadline, but they made something else clear: Jamahl Mosley isn’t going anywhere - at least not this season.
Speaking to the media Thursday after the NBA’s 3 p.m. trade deadline passed, Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman addressed the growing noise surrounding the team’s recent struggles and the job security of their head coach. Weltman didn’t mince words.
“Jamahl has our full support, and Jamahl is our coach for the rest of the season,” he said. “It’s not about one person.
This is a basketball team. It’s a basketball organization.
It’s a group effort.”
That kind of public backing carries weight, especially in a league where coaching stability is more the exception than the rule. Mosley, now in his fifth season with the Magic, has guided the team to back-to-back playoff appearances. But with expectations ramped up this year - following an aggressive move that sent draft capital, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Cole Anthony to Memphis in exchange for Desmond Bane - the pressure has followed suit.
The Magic haven’t exactly taken off the way some hoped. Injuries have disrupted the rotation, and the team’s play has been inconsistent - flashes of promise followed by frustrating lapses. They’re still hovering above water in the Eastern Conference, but it’s been a grind.
Weltman made it clear that no one inside the building is taking that lightly.
“We’ve got to get better,” he said. “And I can tell you one thing: I know Mose is going home every night, looking himself in the mirror, not sleeping, trying to figure out how to do this thing - how to get us back on track. And I know the players are doing the same thing.”
That kind of accountability - from the front office to the coaching staff to the locker room - is what Weltman wanted to highlight. He also acknowledged the frustration from the fanbase, and he didn’t shy away from it.
“There’s a lot of people that are frustrated and that care greatly about this,” he said. “We feel the weight of the fans’ frustration.
When I hear things like a lack of urgency - I don’t sleep. We’ve got to get this thing right.
And I’m confident that we will.”
Mosley, for his part, appreciated the show of support. He understands the nature of the business - head coaches in the NBA are often the first to take the fall when things go sideways. But for now, he’s got the backing of the front office, and he’s focused on the task at hand.
“In this business, in this industry, coaches do become revolving doors,” Mosley said. “That’s the reality of it.
We know what we sign up for. But to know that Jeff and I and this organization are aligned with what we want to do with this group, with this team, and how we need to play - that means a lot.”
The Magic didn’t just talk the talk Thursday - they followed it up with a much-needed win. After dropping back-to-back games to the Spurs and Thunder, Orlando opened a four-game homestand with a strong performance against the Brooklyn Nets. Jalen Suggs led the way, notching his first career triple-double and injecting some life into a team that’s been searching for consistency.
It was a good ending to what had been a tough day - one filled with questions about direction, urgency, and belief. The answers won’t come overnight, but the message from the top was loud and clear: the Magic are sticking with their coach, and they’re still betting on this group to figure it out.
Now, with the trade deadline in the rearview and the All-Star break approaching, Orlando has a chance to reset, regroup, and make a push. The pressure’s still there. But so is the belief - at least for now.