3 Role players who will determine the outcome of the Magic's 2024-25 season

The excitement for the new NBA season is growing, especially among Orlando Magic fans. They are expecting another successful season. Wins won't just be handed to the Magic, though. The team will have to continue improving to keep up with the best in the Eastern Conference. 

Much of the offseason discussion has focused on what Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner have to do to lead their team to success. After all, they are the stars and will decide the team's ceiling. They are not the only ones impacting the 2024-25 season, though. Some role players will be just as important. 

3. Wendell Carter Jr. 

Wendell Carter Jr. had a down year last season, dealing with a hand injury. Once the offseason arrived, the notion that the Magic needed an upgrade, that Carter Jr. was not their starting center of the future, surfaced. He is not a rim protector, not necessarily a big threat offensively, and has been dealing with injuries for his entire career. 

Despite some team's suggested interest in Carter Jr., the Magic decided to hang on to him. Going into the 2024-25 season, he should be the team's starting center, just like last season. A lot hinges on the next season for Carter Jr. 

He will have to bounce back from last season's down year, not only to solidify his standing as the Magic's starting center but also to help the team win. The East has about eight teams potentially eying a top-six seed. That means, there is little room for error. 

Can Carter Jr. stay healthy? Can he improve his offensive production? Can he establish himself as the Magic's center of the future? All of these questions will have huge implications for the Magic's 2024-25 season as well as for the long-term future. 

The Magic need Carter Jr. to help with the effort to improve the team's offense, and if he can establish himself as the team's starting center past the 2024-25 season, it would save the Magic from having to make a trade for someone else.