The Orlando Magic made the NBA's splashiest non-Kevin Durant acquisition this summer when they added Desmond Bane. Then they shored up the backcourt by signing veteran Tyus Jones. In the draft, they added Jase Richardson and Noah Penda, two guys who might take a while to develop but look promising nonetheless. It's been active for Jeff Weltman and Anthony Parker... and now it might be over.
As it stands, the Magic are hard-capped at the first apron, the threshold in the league's new CBA that, if teams spend over, causes that team to incur penalties. Exceeding the first apron makes it tougher to sign players off waivers, gets rid of a team's Expanded Traded Player Exception and non-taxpayer Mid-Level Exception, and a few other scintillating salary cap things that would undoubtedly cause you to click away from this article. Nooo, don't go!
The Magic do not have space under the first apron hard cap — which they can't exceed because of the Tyus Jones signing — to sign another player to this roster, so any moves would require some salary gymnastics that I don't foresee the front office doing. Instead, that final spot will likely be left open. Of course, the Magic signing Jones is the reason for being hard-capped, but the apron existing in the first place isn't their fault; it's a new rule made to essentially punish big spenders in the NBA, which the Magic fall into the category of, thanks to this summer and the contracts they signed their core players to.
It's not nearly as harsh as the second apron which the Magic are still $13 million clear of — but will be over next season barring major changes, a fact the front office is certainly aware of. But as it stands, the moves were made, the team is set, and now it's about time to go play basketball. There's no reason (and probably no possibility) for more tinkering with a roster that has no clear holes heading into 2025-26. Wow, it's kind of crazy to say that, huh?
Magic projected to be above second apron next summer
The Orlando Magic look like NBA Finals contenders, especially in a downtrodden Eastern Conference. The front office deserves serious props for how it operated this summer. It made the big move fans have been murmuring about for years, picked up young prospects who don't need to provide instantly, and did it all while being financially responsible.
Next year, things get a little hazier. Bane, Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs, and Jonathan Isaac are all under contract for many years, and although none of those deals are bad for the Magic payroll, they will likely take the Magic over the second apron next summer unless the team makes moves to offload money. Again, that's a future problem.
Things are pretty, pretty, pretty good in Magicland right now. It's not worth stressing about future money situations. The current team is good!