5 offseason tasks the Orlando Magic should already be working on

5 offseason tasks the Orlando Magic should already be working on

4. Decide who partners Markelle Fultz long-term

On the surface, four-fifths of this current Orlando Magic startling lineup looks set to be the same now as the players who will tip off the 2023-24 season.

They are Markelle Fultz, Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero and Wendell Carter. The fifth spot in that starting group remains a question mark, and it is one the franchise should already be trying to solve.

There are three contenders for the position, but that does not take into account what happens if the Magic are in position to pick a player like Ausar Thompson on draft night.

But if we simplify things by only looking at the current roster, then Gary Harris, Jalen Suggs and even Cole Anthony will want to lay claim to that final starting berth.

Anthony is already the natural backup to Fultz, and as he has only started three games this season, it feels like he is out of the running in this race. Two-guard isn’t his spot to excel.

Harris has started 37 games so far this season, the fifth highest on the roster as a result of the injuries that plagued this group at times this year.

He is the best fit next to Fultz because he is a natural shooter who can space the floor, and complements Fultz’s more cerebral nature. A guard who is also an above-average defender.

But Harris will be entering the final year of his deal and will be 29 years old before next season starts. Nice as the Magic are looking, he may want to have a more serious shot at winning elsewhere.

Which leaves Suggs. His second season has been a lot better than his first, and he has the potential to be a high-level “3-and-D” guard in the league.

Suggs has only managed 45 games this season, starting on 16 occasions. It seems a lot to expect him to make such a big leap in year three. This is a decision the franchise have to get right.