The Orlando Magic enter the 2026 season with big expectations.
Their trade for Desmond Bane sent things into overdrive. The Magic pushed their chips in on a near-All-Star player who seemingly fit everything the Magic wanted -- elite shooting, solid playmaking, defensive versatility.
Now the Magic are favored to finish third in the East. They are sitting at an over/under of 50.5 wins (at least) on most sports books. They are expected to get out of the first round. Management and players are talking about competing and winning a title seriously for the first time.
Everyone has let their imaginations run wild for what is possible this season.
What will actually happen though? That is the big question left for the Magic this season to answer.
Everyone is looking forward to Wednesday's season opener against the Miami Heat. And not just for the opener or the rivalry. Everyone is eager to see what this team will do this season.
This feels like a breakthrough season on several fronts. It feels like it is the first of an extended run where the team will be competing for and vying for a championship.
The question is less about whether the Magic will take a step forward this season, but how big a step.
As we enter the first week of the season, it is time to put pen to paper with 10 predictions that are sure to be right for the upcoming season.
1. Paolo Banchero AND Franz Wagner make the All-Star Team
For any of this to work for the Orlando Magic, they need both Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner to become clear superstars and clear players the team can build around. The whole point of the big moves was to make their jobs easier.
As much excitement as there is for the new additions to the team, it is Banchero and Wagner who will determine if this is a future title team or a season cut short.
The surest sign they have taken that step is getting the invite to Los Angeles for the All-Star Game. The surest sign the Magic are contenders is getting multiple All-Stars. The only times the Magic have had more than one All-Star is in 1995, 1996, 2001 and 2009. Those are three of the four seasons the Magic went to the Conference Finals.
That is the kind of season the Magic believe they are due for.
2. Paolo Banchero makes All-NBA
If the Orlando Magic did not plan on paying Paolo Banchero the full Rose Rule max, I would seriously question their accountants and cap-ologists. It feels like it is a given that Banchero will get the full max and earn a spot on the All-NBA team.
There is a lot that entails. It would mean Banchero is one of the 15 best players in the league. It would be a sign of the Magic being contenders in the Eastern Conference. It would be a major statement of the team's presence in the league.
Banchero always future multi-time All-NBA player written all over him. Despite the critics constantly trying to poke holes in his game, he has been putting up superstar-level numbers and doing things that have not been done since Luka Doncic and LeBron James.
It is only a matter of time before he joins that level of player on the All-NBA team.
3. Orlando Magic's offense will be in the top half of the league
The biggest thing holding the Orlando Magic back has been their offense. They simply have not been able to score. And it has been a systemic problem for the team.
The Magic have been a bottom-10 offense every year since Dwight Howard's departure in 2012. In the long run of basketball history, teams accidentally discover a competent offense every once in a while. Not the Magic.
This is the year that streak finally ends. And, in fact, the Magic will have an offense in the top half of the league.
Adding Desmond Bane gives the team significantly more shooting and spacing and another attacker. The team's focus on pace throughout the preseason had a significant impact on their preseason offense at every level -- it would be shocking if they remained second in offensive rating when the regular season begins.
It feels like there is more juice and life in this offense. And that changes everything for Orlando.
4. Orlando Magic win the Southeast Division for third straight year
It seems like a small goal, especially since the Orlando Magic have the not-so-great distinction of being one of the few division champions to finish without a winning record. At 41-41, at least, the Magic avoided winning their division with a losing record.
The banner is still up at the AdventHealth Training Center celebrating a second straight division title. It is a small goal to check off on their way to bigger things.
But the Southeast Division is much better this season. The Atlanta Hawks also made big moves. And the Magic were not too far from losing to them last year with all the injuries both rosters had.
Winning the division is a small goal for the team. But it is still a banner to hang.
5. Orlando Magic win a playoff series
The main thing everyone wants to see is the Orlando Magic advance deeper into the Playoffs. The final result will not completely define success for this team. But one thing that will define success is winning a playoff series.
Orlando has been to the first round the last two seasons. They do not make the kind of move they made this summer if they do not have bigger ambitions. And so the magic are trying to accomplish this goal.
Orlando likely needs to do more than get out of the first round. The team needs to look like it is point toward a title to consider this season a success. But the team needs to get out of the first round at a bare minimum. That is what they wanted to accomplish last year and fell short.
6. Orlando Magic play for the NBA Cup
Everyone's mileage on the NBA Cup may differ. It is not the most important thing anyone will do during the season. And losing it is not a big deal.
But it has mattered for the Orlando Magic. In both editions of the tournament, the Magic used it as something of a statement of intent. It was an early sign the team was ready to contend and do something serious. Their win over the Boston Celtics in the 2023 NBA Cup was one of the most important victories in their development.
Orlando learned lessons from each tournament. The team came out firing in last year's tournament before gaining some humility in the final game against the New York Knicks. The Orlando Magic still advanced and put up a good fight in the semifinals against the Milwaukee Bucks.
This is a competitive team and having a chance to win a league-wide trophy is important. The Magic care about this tournament -- for better or worse. And this should be a year where they take another step in this tournament just as they take another step in the bigger playoffs.
7. Jonathan Isaac makes a push for All-Defensive Team
Jalen Suggs should be on the All-Defensive team, provided he plays enough games. Suggs will be the head of the snake on defense again. And while the Orlando Magic might take some step back on defense as they try to play faster on offense, their defense should still be very good.
How good will be dependent on how all the pieces come together. The Magic still have an ace in the hole with Jonathan Isaac.
Rumors of Jonathan Isaac's demise last year were greatly exaggerated. He went from an elite defender to merely a very good defender. Isaac still has to play more minutes -- he averaged only 15 per game last year -- and find a way to contribute on offense.
But Isaac looks more mobile and explosive. He looks like the defensive terror Magic fans have known throughout his career. If he can get on the court, he is going to make an impact on that end.
8. Wendell Carter will record a triple-double
The good thing about playing faster and getting more possessions is that there is now an opportunity to accumulate more stats. And that means more opportunities for mini accomplishments like triple doubles.
Paolo Banchero will likely get one this year -- he got his first in that memorable game against the Denver Nuggets two years ago. Franz Wagner is not a huge passer, but might flirt with one.
The player I think will have that breakthrough though is Wendell Carter. In 29 minutes Thursday against the New Orleans Pelicans, Carter scored 14 points, grabbed seven rebounds and dished out six assists. He has been active and energetic around the basket throughout the preseason.
With how much more movement and pace there is in the offense, there are a lot more opportunities. The Magic seem to be leveraging Carter's playmaking and rolling a lot more this year than in previous years. That could mean he gets a Draymond Green special.
9. Jase Richardson cracks the rotation by the trade deadline
The Orlando Magic's two rookies are going to find it tough to crack the rotation when the team is healthy. The Orlando Magic have a lot of players that they need to play. But they have depth and confidence in that depth.
Jase Richardson was one of the standouts for the team during the preseason. And finding a way to play him will be important. Richardson is not quite good enough to be undeniable. The Magic will be comfortable playing him while they wait for Jalen Suggs to return.
The question is whether Jase Richardson can displace a veteran like Tyus Jones. Jones will be important early in the season and should provide some needed stability as a veteran. But, like Richardson, he has weaknesses because of his size. And he is an expiring contract.
It certainly seems like the Magic are grooming Richardson to take over that backup point guard role for next season. it could happen sooner than later.
10. Orlando Magic are fighting for the 1-seed in the final week
The assumption around the league is the Orlando Magic will settle behind the Eastern Conference favorites in the Cleveland Cavaliers and the New York Knicks. The Magic are good but unproven. They are likely to finish as the 3-seed.
You will see a few predictors that have the Magic finishing in second. The question Orlando must answer is whether the team is competing with the top of the conference or just the leaders of "the rest."
The Magic could easily prove they are closer to the top of the conference than the middle. And I think the Magic will be much closer to those top two teams than everyone thinks.
Magic fans should be dreaming big this season. There are still going to be a few surprises. The biggest one might be how close to the elite in the East this team really is.