Orlando Magic are bought in, Jeff Weltman has to deliver

The Orlando Magic have the worst record in the NBA. They have their worst 41-game record in franchise history. And they are on a nine-game losing streak.

There have been blowout losses as expected with a young team — and an injured one at that. More recently, there have been disappointing close losses. The kinds you expect with a developing and young team.

There is a future out there for this franchise and this team, but it certainly feels way off in the distance.

The Magic cemented a likely rough season of development and growth when they tore down the franchise’s pillars from the post-Dwight Howard era last March at the trade deadline. They are certainly not turning back now. The odds were always going to be stacked against them. They just want to make progress in earnest and stick with the plan.

The plan is everything — whatever it is. And it is now all about its architect.

The Orlando Magic are set to announce extensions for Jeff Weltman and John Hammond, cementing their trust in the architects of this rebuild. The clock is ticking to deliver.

President of basketball operations Jeff Weltman earned some goodwill and success in working with Rob Hennigan’s players and hiring the perfect coach for a young veteran-filled team in Steve Clifford to steal two playoff berths.

But three years into his tenure, Weltman got his teardown and the chance to take ownership of a roster and build it from the ground up. The Magic are now officially making sure he gets the chance to see it through.

The clock is indeed now ticking.

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN was the first to report — it was later confirmed by various local media — that Jeff Weltman along with general manager John Hammond will get extensions on their contracts that will last through the 2026 season.

Their contracts reportedly were set to expire at the end of the 2022 season. It was widely expected throughout the summer they would both be extended. Especially since they went through the process of not only the roster teardown but of hiring a coach to oversee the beginnings of this rebuild.

No official agreement was announced until this leak. A formal announcement of their extensions is expected later this week.

This decision was inevitable after the team decided to start over and do a major overhaul and full rebuild. It would not have been smart of ownership to approve that much change without having faith in the team that would design its first steps.

And to be sure, despite the franchise’s decade-long malaise in the wake of trading Dwight Howard, this is the first year of the rebuild.

While the team’s record might be worse than many thought it would be, it has gone to plan with the Magic again in a position to get a top pick and add to a talented group of young players.

The team is at the bottom of the standings and will likely finish with one of the worst records in franchise history, but the vibes around the team are still largely positive. You would not know that this is a team at the very bottom of the standings.

That is either a delusion or something of a success as they try to build from the ground up and get through this difficult first year as they continue to collect talent.

Coach Jamahl Mosley deserves credit for keeping the team’s spirits up and focusing on individual improvements and little victories that will one day build into a winning culture. Cole Anthony has taken dramatic leaps forward in his sophomore season. Franz Wagner won the December Rookie of the Month award. And plenty of other players have shown positive signs.

The Magic are still waiting on the returns from long-term injuries of Markelle Fultz, Jonathan Isaac and Jalen Suggs. All three are high-Lottery picks and extremely talented players who would undoubtedly help the team perform a lot better on the court.

There is a lot that would seemingly point toward a bright future and dramatic improvement as the team gets the chance to play and grow together.

But the clock is undoubtedly ticking now.

Everything feels great when there is little pressure to win — and even Weltman admitted before the season that this year was not about winning but reintegrating injured players and growing internally. But nobody wants to stay at this stage. And the team is going to have to crawl forward.

That means continuing to see development on the roster and figuring out just what the team will get from Isaac and Fultz when they return to begin shaping the roster.

But that also means getting the upcoming draft pick right — perhaps getting some good fortune to have the first pick in a solid, but not spectacular draft. And then finding the right veterans to surround those young players with the cap room the team has this offseason while still working to maintain flexibility to spend and maneuver as these young players grow and develop.

Weltman has four more years to continue shaping the Magic roster. Orlando will have to continue taking steps in its process.

Certainly, the goal for the Magic will be to be in playoff contention by the time they have to negotiate a new contract for their lead man.

Weltman does not like putting timelines on things, but this is a pressure business. And wins and losses have to be the judge at some time.

It is impossible to say now or predict what that future will be like. There are so many variables that lead up to success.

And Weltman has shown smarts and patience in building his team. He has also shown the boldness to make tough decisions to push the franchise forward. His teardown at last year’s trade deadline was not an easy call to make.

But Weltman, despite the considerable resources he has gotten from ownership including the soon-to-open AdventHealth Training Center across the street from Amway Center, will have to deliver and push this team forward in a tangible way.

This is a free year and there has been enough encouraging play to call it a positive one already. Despite the team’s poor record. The only part that is missing are the hints of the team’s identity that will point toward a winning team in the future.

The pressure to show more tangible growth will begin soon. And Weltman will have to put his team in a position not only to learn and grow individually but begin putting together wins to prove themselves as one of the up-and-coming teams in the league.

The ultimate goal is still to win a championship. Orlando will want to keep taking steps forward.

There will not be a straight line to get there. But the Magic are ready to go through the steps it will take to get there. They have the man they are trusting to get them through this process.

With that faith entrusted in him, Weltman now has to deliver.