The NBA is hitting the serious part of the Playoffs. The first round is coming to a close and the team with real title aspirations are coming to the forefront.
The first round separates the serious teams from the ones who were simply happy to be in the postseason. For some teams, that is expected and a launchpad for future growth. For others, losing in the first round is a major disappointment. It forces teams to ask serious questions about themselves and their direction.
For others, there is still disappointment in losing in the first round, but it is a galvanizing force to help them see what they need to shoot up the standings.
The Playoffs always bring change and force teams to stare down their potential and their shortcomings.
The Orlando Magic were ultimately unsatisfied with their trip to the Playoffs this season. A five-game loss to the Boston Celtics saw the team defend well and acquit itself well, but the Magic made it clear they have bigger ambitions.
Their exit interview media availabilities were spent saying as much. There was a clear directive to be aggressive this offseason, seeking offensive creation and shooting.
After back-to-back first-round playoff exits, the Magic are signaling publicly that they are open for business and eager to be aggressive to address some of the team's critical needs.
They are not alone in considering changes as the offseason begins for the majority of the league.
There are already some clear offseason storylines that are developing as everyone prepares for the offseason. And the Magic are a team that has the leverage and ability to play in a lot of them.
What are these pressure points? Where are these opportunities for some leverage on the Magic's behalf? In the early storylines, it is clear where the Magic can exert some pressure. And there are clearly some situations they should already be monitoring.
1. The Lakers' center situation
The Los Angeles Lakers made the splashiest move at the trade deadline in acquiring Luka Doncic. It is a deal that is still reverberating around the league with all of its consequences and potential outcomes still fleshing out.
While the allure of having a baton-grabbing star was clear and the right move for the Lakers as they envision a future without LeBron James, it also created clear weaknesses. The Lakers' trade of Anthony Davis left them extremely thin at center. That is why they tried to acquire Mark Williams at the trade deadline -- and then mysteriously failed his physical.
Adding size is going to be a priority for the Lakers this offseason.
That lack of frontcourt help was on full display in their five-game loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Rudy Gobert destroyed them in the decisive game, scoring 27 points, grabbing 24 rebounds and grabbing nine offensive rebounds.
Rudy Gobert averaged only 9.8 rebounds per game, but the Lakers felt increasingly more comfortable going smaller as Jaxson Hayes struggled in the playoff spotlight.
Everyone can sense the Lakers will look to find a center in the trade market this summer. And the Orlando Magic have long been a favorite trade machine partner for them.
With how aggressive Orlando is going to be to add offense, there already seems to be a clear framework for a deal. The fact that the Magic have struggled to find Goga Bitadze playing time and he is clearly good enough to hold down regular minutes means the Magic have a prized item for the Lakers -- or any other team looking for center help -- to pursue.
The Magic could acquire Austin Reaves for Goga Bitadze and Gary Harris (assuming they pick up Harris' team option) to give them another playmaker and potential shooter -- Reaves shot 37.7 percent from three last year and is a career 37.0 percent 3-point shooter. That has been a longtime target for Magic fans.
A Reaves-for-Bitadze deal works if completed before the NBA calendar flips (before July 1).
There is at least that framework for a deal. And the Lakers could solidify their center position. The Magic are clearly a team that could take advantage of the Lakers' desperation seeking a center. And so this is a team to keep an eye on.
2. Phoenix's firesale
The Phoenix Suns are not expected to go into a full firesale mode. They invested a lot in star players in Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal to maximize Devin Booker's prime. the heavy spending on the top-end of the roster kileld their ability to fill the roster with depth. And the Suns flamed out as they never quite meshed together.
Durant always has a wondering eye and it seems like it is very likely the Suns will move Durant to try to do a soft reset to their roster. Really Phoenix wants off Beal's contract to regain some financial flexibility.
The Phoenix Suns cannot do the full reset, though, because they owe their 2025, 2027 and 2029 picks to the Houston Rockets. They owe a pick swap option to the Washington Wizards and the Orlando Magic next year -- the Wizards have the option to swap first, and likely would not.
The Suns, being a second-apron team and unable to aggregate contracts (sending two players out at the same time, they can always take more players back, but not more salary), only complicates matters.
That makes the Durant trade likely one of the most complicated deals the league has seen in some time. And it would make sense for Phoenix to try to include Orlando in the deal to get this pick swap released.
The Magic could get something out of it. Orlando could use the Durant trade to grab some valuable players and leverage this pick swap for something.
From the Suns directly, the Magic could be interested in sharpshooter Grayson Allen (42.6 percent from three last year) and Royce O'Neale (40.6 percent 3-point shooter last year). Both have three years left on their deals, with O'Neale's contract looking very valuable at $10.1 million next year.
There is again a framework and leverage to get a deal done. And Orlando should be nibbling at the edges of the Durant deal when it goes down.
3. Focused on the stars
Headlines around the NBA always center on the stars and star movement. It is an easy way to gain attention and there are already a few ridiculous trade ideas out there to bring stars.
The Orlando Magic are seen as a team with the assets and the need to be involved in trades for star players. They have been connected at various times to LaMelo Ball and Trae Young. There have been some hints that they could get in on Ja Morant or even Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Most Magic fans would be happy if the team inquired about All-Star Tyler Herro. And many fans would be thrilled to grab Anfernee Simons (his $25.9 million salary for the 2026 season is at least near stardom).
The Magic might go in on Anfernee Simons, trying to swap his salary slot for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to get that playmaker and shooter they desperately need. That is more in line with the strategy the Magic have this offseason. Trying to swap the salaries they already have for upgrades.
In other words, with Orlando set at the top of the roster with Franz Wagner's extension kicking in and Paolo Banchero signing his extension this summer, plus another $30-million player in Jalen Suggs' front-loaded extension beginning, the team is not likely going star-hunting this summer. They are not looking to add tons of salary and go too far above the first apron.
4. Eyes on the Aprons
We have been dancing around the issue throughout this post. We have mentioned the concerns about the aprons and the luxury tax.
The Orlando Magic are now a tax team. Depending on which options the team picks up this summer, the team could be comfortably over the first apron and flirting with the second apron. The Magic are going to be watching their spending and likely do not want to take on more money than they bring in.
Orlando planned on this to some extent. The Magic front-loaded Jalen Suggs' extension so that he takes up less of the cap as it continues to increase. Contracts will increase at less of a rate than the cap is projected to increase.
Everyone is watching the cap. But that is an opportunity too.
As Shams Charania of ESPN recently reported, the Boston Celtics (a second-apron team) could be looking to shed some salary to avoid the onerous restrictions that come with that status. Reporters in Boston told me that they anticipated one of Jrue Holiday or Kristaps Porzingis to hit the trade market -- they pitched me Holiday for the Magic.
That specific deal might be tough considering Holiday is owed $104.4 million over the next three seasons. But that is the idea of a lot of these moves.
The Suns want their picks back in part because they are trying to get back under the second apron. There are a lot of teams that are looking to shed some salary.
Orlando is not quite there yet. The Magic are trying to buy but not increase their salary too much to avoid the deeper penalties of the aprons.
5. Competing for assets
The Orlando Magic are not alone with some flexibility and the desire to add to the roster. Most of the big moves are going to be waiting on the other active teams to move.
The league is likely holding its breath for the Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant decisions. It will be tough to see the rest of the dominoes fall before that occurs.
Many anticipate the Houston Rockets to be active, looking to make a giant swing. The San Antonio Spurs also still have some flexibility to make a big move even after acquiring De'Aaron Fox at the trade deadline.
The Brooklyn Nets are the only team with significant cap space. So there is a sense of the big players having to go first to the few teams that can afford them before everyone else goes.
The Magic are likely in that second layer of teams with some flexibility to find players in the offseason. They will try to act quickly so they do not get outleveraged by the teams with a little more weight to throw around.