The Orlando Magic finished their season 41-41 and seventh in the Eastern Conference, losing in five games in their first-round series with the Boston Celtics.
It was a disappointing season, even if injuries were the main culprit for derailing things and sending the Magic home earlier than they hoped. Everyone exited the season knowing that truth, but also knowing the team needed to do more.
Orlando went from the up-and-coming team in the league to one with serious questions that it needed to answer. Considering how much more expensive the Magic were about to become with Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs' extensions kicking in and Paolo Banchero's anticipated new max extension, the Magic needed some urgency.
Their needs this offseason were apparently clear. Orlando needed more playmaking, something Banchero noted following the 2024 season. And after struggling offensively, they needed more shooting.
That was the message Banchero seemed to deliver to the Magic's front office before the offseason wheeling and dealing began, as Marc Spears related on NBA Today this week.
"I'm going to give Jeff Weltman some love with the Orlando Magic," Spears said. "I think he is deserving of an A. Making that trade for Desmond Bane, and Orlando is known for being quiet, that was something I wasn't expecting. That was aggressive. Paolo basically, after the season, told Jeff, told management, we need some shooting, we need some added depth, we need some added guards. They did that."
They were certainly active this offseason, acquiring Desmond Bane for some much-needed shooting and playmaking and signing Tyus Jones for a steady hand at point guard. It checked off all the boxes the Magic needed and what Banchero seemingly asked for.
Now, the Magic find themselves among the projected favorites to win the Eastern Conference. Their talk about winning a championship might still be aspirational, but they are not as far-fetched as they used to be.
The Magic vaulted themselves into contention
The Orlando Magic clearly needed a boost at guard after struggling with those injuries last season. They clearly needed to find a way to improve their offense and their spacing especially.
The early offseason move to acquire Desmond Bane seemed to change the narrative about the Magic overnight. They went out and got an efficient shooter and improving playmaker and someone who could help the team make a sizeable leap on offense.
That is, at least, the hope.
Everyone seems to be a believer in this move. It is certainly a much bolder stroke than the team made last summer when they simply added Kentavious Caldwell-Pope as their big free agent prize.
Instead, Orlando has done nothing but get praised for their offseason.
Kevin Pelton of ESPN gave the Magic a B for their offseason and ESPN put the Magic eighth in their offseason power rankings. Zach Lowe and Michael Pina put the Magic in their potential title-contenders tier in the Zach Lowe Show's assessment of the Eastern Conference. Law Murray of The Athletic put the Magic eighth in his power rankings.
Spears, who helped facilitate Banchero's video diary for Andscape this season, even called Banchero a dark-horse MVP candidate for the upcoming season.
It all certainly seems to have worked out for them on paper.
Banchero flexed some star muscle
Paolo Banchero has looked every bit the kind of star the Orlando Magic could build around this offseason. Signing him to a max extension was one of the bigger goals for this offseason.
Banchero certainly flexed his star muscle throughout a strong 2025 season where he averaged 25.9 points per game and then followed it with 29.4 points per game in the Playoffs. He earned not only the supermax contract but a player option for the final year, the first player to get one off his rookie contract since Luka Doncic and Trae Young in 2021.
The Magic believed in Banchero enough to give him those privileges. Around the league, that also means perhaps that he carries a bit of power within the organization.
That would include speaking with management and getting his assessment of what the team needs. Orlando is, after all, building a team to accentuate his talents.
The Magic appear to be consulting with their star players about the state of the team.
"Me and Jeff, we've talked before," Banchero said during exit interviews in May. "I think he's asked me my opinion on certain things. But at the same time, I will let him do his job. My job is to play. My job is to show up every day and work. I try not to get too involved in what he does."
"We always want to know what our players are thinking and read the room right and have our finger on the pulse of the team," Weltman said during the team's exit interviews in May. "I won't get into more private, behind-closed-doors conversations with our players. Obviously, their impact on our team is felt in a lot of different ways. We pride ourselves in understanding the temperature of our team and what the pulse of our team is."
Whatever they discussed was clearly heeded. Orlando seemed to address all of its weaknesses this offseason.
The Magic wanted to seek proven offensive help, as Weltman put it during exit interviews, that is something they accomplished.
But Orlando also wanted to leave no stone unturned to improve the team. In addition to the additions on the court, the Magic added two offensive-minded assistant coaches to Jamahl Mosley's staff in Joe Prunty and God Shamgod.
The Magic did not dramatically reshape their roster this offseason, but they made significant changes that seemingly were designed to address the issues.
If the call this offseason was to address the team's weaknesses so that Banchero could star, it appears the team has done it. It is now up to the players and coaches to put all the pieces together.
Everyone is expecting the Magic to make a big splash this year.