The Orlando Magic are in a brutal spot. Not only do they have one of the most expensive rosters in the NBA, but they are going to get more expensive by the year.
And they have not even made it out of the first round of the playoffs with this roster construction.
It is a brutal, brutal position to be in, and it is only getting worse.
By next summer, the Magic will probably have to get rid of one of Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Desmond Bane or Jalen Suggs. They are projected to be just $39 million under the second apron, and that is without having re-signed Anthony Black, Goga Bitadze, Jonathan Isaac, Nikola Vucevic or Jamal Cain for the 2028 campaign.
Orlando needs to start making some tough decisions, and they are already on a one-year clock.
Magic will need to make a huge trade by next summer
The Orlando Magic were close to a breakthrough this year.
They were one game away from upsetting the No. 1-seeded Detroit Pistons as the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference. But they were unable to get the job done.
They fired head coach Jamahl Mosley this summer, but outside of bringing back Nikola Vucevic and restructuring Jonathan Isaac’s deal, they did not make any significant moves this summer. Plus, they lost Moe Wagner.
By the 2028 campaign, Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Desmond Bane are all going to be making more than $40 million, and Jalen Suggs will be close to the $30 million mark (his contract is front-loaded and he makes more than $30 million this season).
Anthony Black will probably want somewhere between $25 and $30 million, too, depending on how the upcoming season goes.
That would not leave the Magic with a ton of wiggle room to fill out the rest of the roster with depth. And unless they prove that this core is a title contender next year, ownership probably will not want to foot a second-apron bill for what may not even be a playoff team.
So, unless the Magic decide to let Black walk or ship him out in a sign-and-trade, which seems unlikely, considering he is only 22 years old, they will probably have to trade one of their top four guys to adjust the roster -- either to add more players or reduce payroll.
Next season will be a huge test. If the top four guys lead the Magic to a playoff spot and potentially even win a round, maybe they will be okay with dipping into the second apron.
But all of that seems unlikely. The most realistic outcome is that the Magic have to trade one of Banchero, Wagner, Bane or Suggs by next summer to avoid the second apron.
Add us as a preferred source on Google