The Orlando Magic walked off the court in Detroit a little more than two weeks ago in a strange place.
For most of their seven-game series with the 60-win Detroit Pistons, they could see how good they truly were. They created matchup problems, hounded the Pistons on defense and were in control over the top team in the Eastern Conference.
The Magic showed they could compete with one of the best teams in the East.
They also showed how fragile that competitiveness could be.
When Franz Wagner strained his calf and sat out the final three games, the Magic reverted to the inconsistent and often frustrating team that struggled to get through the season. The defense collapsed, and the offense, obviously, had its struggles -- we do not need to go through Game 6 again, do we?
That the team would swing from a potential East contender to a barely .500 team just off one injury spoke to a lot of the issues with the team's roster construction and how everything failed to come together.
The Magic are simultaneously extremely talented and close to the destination they want to go to, and far away, struggling to meet the expectations they set for themselves.
The Magic no longer feel like an inevitable contender. Their key players all face big questions, even if it is too early to consider breaking up the young core.
This is a critical offseason for the franchise. They are expecting better injury luck. But they are facing a major change with the shift to a new coach. And the bets they make on maintaining or changing the roster will greatly affect the team's trajectory.
Jeff Weltman publicly remains hesitant to make major changes to the roster. But that is the defining decision this offseason. And could determine how far the team can go in 2027. And whether the team can regain a championship trajectory.
It is a big offseason for the Magic. And these five questions are at the center of it:
1. Who will be the new coach?
Jeff Weltman said it plainly when he addressed the media after the season: No move, besides acquiring a star player, can better change a team's fortunes than changing a coach.
The Orlando Magic are picking a new coach at a critical time for this team.
The Magic have proven they can compete and make the Playoffs. They have proven they can win. But that is no longer enough. They want to advance deeper into the Playoffs.
With two Game 7s in the first round of the last three years, they have shown they are capable of doing so. But they still did not get over the hump. And they still failed to avoid the Play-In for a second straight season.
The Magic will find it hard to make wholesale changes to the roster. They do not seem to want to do that. And so changing coaches was the obvious first step.
The question is who will the Magic hire and what effect will that hire have?
Orlando reportedly wants someone with experience to get them to that promised land in the second round and beyond. The team does not want to abandon its defensive identity, but wants a coach with some new offensive ideas.
It is a narrow needle to thread.
Whomever the Magic hire is going to come with questions and flaws that the team must discover and overcome. There is no perfect hire. But the Magic need to get what they want most out of this hire -- that next level.
Whomever the Magic hire will be judged entirely on results and how they build off the team's foundation.
2. Will the Orlando Magic make fundamental changes to the lineup?
A new coach will bring new ideas. And those new ideas may clash with the roster the team has in place.
If the Orlando Magic will bring in a new coach with the idea of him leading them to a championship, that coach surely must have some say in what he needs to build success. The Magic should want to empower that coach.
And that might mean some uncomfortable questions.
A lot went wrong. But ultimately, the story of the season was that the injury to Franz Wagner put too much pressure on Paolo Banchero and, certainly in the Playoffs, the rest of the team failed to rise to the occasion.
Orlando needs to consider some changes to the lineup even if the team is loathe to do so.
Jalen Suggs' struggles offensively and Wendell Carter's shortcomings at center were on full display throughout the season. Orlando is looking to sharpen the details and sand down rough edges.
Maybe both will benefit from more defined roles and a more structured offense. Maybe a new coach can limit eccentricities and weaknesses. Maybe the new coach can use these players.
But Orlando needs to explore their trade markets and understand their value. And know what those trades look like.
The Magic need to avoid stagnation. And the reality might be that their only way to improve with their cap crunch is to make a one-unthinkable move.
Orlando has a lot to weigh this offseason.
3. Will the Orlando Magic extend Anthony Black?
A big part of those decisions comes to how further extended into the luxury tax the Orlando Magic want to go. They have a big financial decision to make with Anthony Black. And that decision is already painting other decisions the Magic are making.
It is unclear what the market will be. There are some in the national media who think Anthony Black and his representatives should request any less than what Jalen Suggs got.
Black is coming off a breakout season where he averaged 15.0 points per game. He looked like a genuine star in the making during December and January as the Magic realized Franz Wagner would be out for an extended period.
Black's March abdominal strain had massive effects on his playoff contributions -- he was down to 8.6 points per game. But no team can give up on a young player who made such a big step. If the Magic want to split Suggs into two players for depth, that is as much a nod of approval for Black and his development.
There are signs that would be a mistake. Just as much as there are signs that letting Black walk would be a mistake.
Jeff Weltman has given out extensions pretty freely to players who are in the Magic's rotation. It is hard to imagine the Magic will not find a deal with Black -- even if it takes until October. He has proven he can add something to the team.
The question is how much and how extended into the tax the Magic are willing to go moving forward.
4. Can Paolo Banchero regain his All-Star status?
So much of this league is about the star players. And even though Paolo Banchero is not as bad as the Internet would make him out to be, this was not a strong season from Banchero in the end.
His scoring average dropped to 22.2 points per game. That was not surprising considering the addition of Desmond Bane. He averaged a career-high in rebounds per game, field goal percentage and true shooting percentage, too. There are plenty of signs of progress.
But it still was not enough. Critics who look to his efficiency still have an argument. Critics who look to his on/off numbers still have an argument (the Magic were -0.2 points per 100 possessions with Banchero on the floor).
Orlando went just 26-25 during the 47 of 51 games Wagner missed from December through March. Banchero's frustrations defined the season.
Something was up with him all year. It was clear in his struggles to finish at the rim -- 62.7 percent shooting from less than five feet on 6.6 attempts per game this season compared to 63.8 percent on 5.8 attempts per game last year.
Even there, it is clear he understood he could get to the basket more and took fewer mid-range shots. There was a lot of good.
But like the team, the pieces never fully came together. And that is what the Magic need to see from Banchero.
He looked noticeably slower and with much less explosiveness. And the Magic need their star to be at his best to take the leap they are planning.
Nothing will matter more to the Magic's hopes for next season than the play of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. All the other changes are in support of what the team believes they can be.
5. Which need is most urgent?
The Orlando Magic are extremely limited this offseason in what they can do. They only really have the nontaxpayer MLE to spend in free agency -- a contract worth a little more than $6 million.
Orlando has a lot of needs. The team needs more playmaking and creation. The team needs more guard and wing depth. The team needs more shooting (obviously). And the team needs to do all this without sacrificing any of its defensive identity, which fell by the wayside for most of the season.
It will be hard to address everything this offseason. Orlando is likely betting on some better health and growth from young players. The Magic may need to see something from rookies Jase Richardson and Noah Penda to help.
But the Magic will need to hit one of these targets with its offseason moves. That is why Jalen Suggs is in the crosshairs -- imagine turning his $35 million contract into a $20 million player and a $15 million player and what that could do for the team's depth.
There are avenues to improve. But the Magic still need to tread carefully. They still need to make sure they bring players who fit the culture they want to build.
That is hard to define without a coach in place. And the coach should have some say. But which need is most urgent to address?
That is the big question. And that is the area the Magic need to attack.
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