The Orlando Magic are heading toward a new season with Sean Sweeney taking over as head coach, and the shape of the rotation is already coming into focus. With free agency wrapped up, the picture looks pretty clear for the top 10, even if a few spots could still shift as the year unfolds.
At the top, the Magic look set to keep Jalen Suggs in the starting point guard role. He made 56 starts last season, and his defense is the kind of trait that should win over Sweeney quickly. The shot is still a work in progress - Suggs is sitting at just over 33 percent from 3-point range for his career - but Orlando still views him as its best answer at the position.
Desmond Bane is locked in as well after starting all 82 games last season. He’s penciled in again as a starter for the 2026-27 campaign, though the way he fits into this offense could look different. Last year, Bane attacked off the dribble more than he did with the Memphis Grizzlies, but the expectation is that the coaching staff will create more open looks from deep for him.
Franz Wagner is expected to return to full health, and that puts him back in the starting small forward spot. He missed 38 games in the 2025-26 season after suffering a lower-leg injury against the New York Knicks in December at Madison Square Garden.
Paolo Banchero stays at power forward, though his role is more flexible than that label suggests. He can slide to small-ball center or move back to power forward if the Magic decide to go bigger. That versatility makes him one of the most important pieces on the roster, and his production will likely be tied closely to how the team performs.
In the middle, Wendell Carter Jr. remains the starter. After six seasons with the Magic, he enters year seven as the clear choice at center. His playoff series against the Detroit Pistons reinforced why Orlando trusts him there, and that should carry into this season.
The bench picture has some real competition. Anthony Black will push Suggs for the starting job at points during the season, but Suggs’ defense gives him the edge for now. Black took a big step forward last year, and if that trend continues, his ceiling is high enough to put him in the mix for the league’s Sixth Man of the Year award.
Tristan da Silva is another player who should have a defined role. Entering his third season, he’ll get starts when Wagner is unavailable, but most of his minutes should come off the bench. It’s a big year for him, and the added clarity should help him keep trending up.
There’s also room for second-year player Noah Penda to make noise. Coming out of France, he began getting more action in the second half of last season while Wagner was sidelined and showed he can impact both ends of the floor. Penda averaged 3.8 points and 3.2 rebounds in his recovery year, and those numbers should rise if his role expands.
The backup center spot comes down to Nikola Vucevic and Goga Bitadze, with Vucevic getting the nod for more minutes. The Orlando legend brings floor spacing that Bitadze doesn’t offer, even if he shouldn’t be counted on every night at 36 years old. Bitadze still figures to be used often, though, especially because of his versatility and rim protection.
That leaves four players outside the 10-man rotation, though none of them should take that as a dead end. Jase Richardson has a chance to close the gap on Carter and could pass him at some point during the season.
Caleb Cain, who moved from a two-way deal to a standard contract late last season and became important in the playoffs, could also force his way in if he builds on that momentum. Jonathan Isaac may see the floor the least among the group, but he was brought back after being waived for a reason, and his size can still bother opposing frontcourts.
Bitadze, meanwhile, may be the most likely of the four to get consistent opportunities, since he finished last season as the team’s backup center and brings both versatility and rim protection.
In Other News...
Sean Sweeney Just Sent A Strong Message About Orlando's Direction
Sean Sweeneys arrival as the Magics new head coach came with the kind of due diligence that says plenty about where a franchise thinks it is headed. He said Orlando put him through the most exhaustive interview he has ever had for a job, and that the process went far beyond a surface-level conversation about philosophy. Sweeney spent time studying the team, reviewing previous coaching approaches and getting himself ready for a role that clearly came with expectations attached.
What stood out to him was how closely the two sides seemed to fit from the start, with the Magic looking for someone who understood what had already been built and what still needed to be added. Sweeney also acknowledged the realities around the roster, including the injury issues that have shaped outside perceptions of last season, but his focus was on the bigger picture. The message from the interview process was less about a quick fix than about a shared vision for what Orlando wants to become next. [Read more 🡒]
Jalen Suggs Faces Mounting Pressure In Crucial Season For The Magic
Jalen Suggs remains one of the most important swing pieces on Orlandos roster as the Magic head into a season that feels loaded with expectation. His defense has long been a calling card, and that edge should still matter in Sean Sweeneys first year on the sideline, but the bigger question is whether Suggs can give the offense more reliable production to match it.
For Orlando, the path from good to elite is going to require more than just keeping him on the floor. The Magic are largely running it back, which puts extra weight on Suggs finding steadier 3-point shooting and growing as a playmaker, because his ability to balance those responsibilities may end up shaping how far this group can go. [Read more 🡒]
Magic End Summer League With A Win Fans Can Feel Good About
The Magic closed Summer League in Las Vegas with a win that should leave the organization feeling pretty good about the group it brought to the floor. Orlando beat Boston 103-97 in its fifth and final game, finishing the event 4-1 and showing enough depth to make the trip feel worthwhile. Malik Reneau, AuDiese Toney, Will Baker and Phillip Wheeler all had their moments, giving the roster a mix of scoring and energy that helped the team finish on a high note.
Reneau was the one who really changed the game after halftime, scoring 19 of his points in the second half as Orlando steadied itself against the Celtics. The Magic now turn the page toward training camp on Sept. 29, and while Summer League results rarely tell the whole story, this run gave them a few players worth watching closely once the real competition begins. [Read more 🡒]