Orlando Magic Daily Mailbag Volume 26: All is new again

This is the great philosophical question many Orlando Magic fans are going to battle over throughout this season. Should this team just be as good as it can be until they can clear the decks (or clear the decks in the process) or tank and try to keep chasing championship dreams?

It is safe to say, even at Aaron Gordon and Jonathan Isaac‘s best version of themselves, that neither is the kind of transcendental player to win a championship with. So the “championship-or-bust” people will argue tanking is the best way to go.

In fairness to the other side, the Magic just tried that for the last five years and you can see what kind of chaos it wreaks.

But the Magic need a plan. They are kind of caught in a strange in-between world. They are too talented and too good to tank fully. But they may not be good enough to compete for a Playoff spot. Or probably not good enough to do much even if they made the Playoffs.

This is a team with a low ceiling and a not-tanking-low floor. That is not the place any team wants to be. And the Magic are kind of stuck with their roster for now.

That makes it really hard to say what the long-term plan is for this team. It is hard to say what direction Jeff Weltman wants to take this team. It honestly might depend on how this season goes.

I have spent the whole offseason describing this season as a “no-lose season.” If the team wins, their players are a little more valuable and players like Aaron Gordon and Elfrid Payton likely took a step forward in their careers.

In this scenario, it likely means the Magic are content for a few years to make the Playoffs and try to use their players and team to attract free agents. That likely puts them in the middle of the Eastern Conference for a while.

If the team struggles again this year, then they get a high draft pick and their rebuild looks a little more focused around a young core that features Aaron Gordon, Jonathan Isaac and their draft pick. Maybe that is a reason to cheer for that.

I do not think either scenario is bad. Both hold their risks. And it is still about developing young talent, making good draft picks and taking advantage of opportunities when they come.

More from Orlando Magic Daily

• 2023 Orlando Magic Playoff Lessons: Philadelphia 76ers can’t seem to avoid conflict
• 5 worst starters of the Orlando Magic’s Shaquille O’Neal era
• Orlando Magic FIBA World Cup: Franz Wagner can be a star if he takes it
• Orlando Magic are going to find out who they are in 2024
• 2024 Orlando Magic Player Outlook: Moe Wagner is the spark off of the bench

I think the immediate goal with this roster is to end the Playoff drought. The Magic are kind of at a dead end with this group and there is little chance they can move on from some of their players. It will take longer to get out from some of these bad contracts if they lose again.

Plus, from a business standpoint, I think the Magic are hungry to get back into the Playoffs and try to reignite the fan base. There is a lot of apathy, and I am sure ownership and management understand this. Something to prove the team has some hope and a reason to show up is paramount for the team. Even as they temper expectations.

I cannot really answer the question though. I have little clue what direction the team wants to head. My guess is they are going to try to make due with what they have. Orlando is not looking for another complete rebuild. They are going to take challenges as they come, not be married to players who do not fit what they want anymore and be opportunistic.

Will that work? I have no clue. The path forward with the assets and players the Magic have is just too uncertain.

Next: Orlando Magic's continuity not taken for granted

Thanks everyone for the mailbag questions. I will be back once the season starts for a new round of mailbag questions. Feel free to drop any questions you want me to answer on Twitter @omagicdaily or send an e-mail to me at omagicdaily@gmail.com. Until next time…