Orlando Magic still have a glaring need after 2024 offseason 

The Magic's 2024 offseason has been quiet recently. Orlando spent all of its money early on, signing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and bringing back rotational players from last season. 

The front office put a lot of emphasis on maintaining the team's defensive identity while improving the offensive output. They added shooting with Caldwell-Pope, who shot over 40 percent from three in the past two seasons, and rookie Tristan da Silva. 

Besides that, the Magic also re-signed Gary Harris, who has made his living as a 3-and-D player, and Jett Howard should get a chance to claim minutes. If all four of those and Jalen Suggs shoot the three well, the floor should open up significantly. 

More space will automatically make it easier for Paolo Banchero to do his thing and act as the team's primary playmaker. And yet, it seems the Magic would benefit from having a traditional point guard on the roster. 

The Magic still lack playmaking after the 2024 offseason

Paolo Banchero has not been shy about voicing his desire to add a table-setter to the roster. Being the team's primary scorer and facilitator is a lot of responsibility to carry on his young shoulders, and sometimes, it would be nice to have someone else create an easy shot for Banchero. 

This doesn't necessarily have to be a starting-level point guard or a star player who will require the ball in his hands a lot. A starting backcourt of Jalen Suggs and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is incredibly intriguing defensively. Neither one has been much of a playmaker so far in their careers, however. 

Suggs still has room to grow, especially if he gets a chance to explore and improve his playmaking at the NBA level this season, and so does Anthony Black. Relying on Banchero and Franz Wagner to make plays from the forward spots and internal improvement from the guards could work. 

A full season as the starting point guard spot next to Banchero might be just what Suggs needs to improve his playmaking for the Magic. It is definitely worth a try. 

It is also risky, though. What if there is only little internal improvement from the guards, and Banchero has to miss extended time with an injury? The Magic signed a point guard this summer, but Cory Joseph is not in Orlando to play heavy minutes. 

The national media seems to agree on the Magic's need for a point guard

National media does not always agree on many NBA issues, but they seem to agree that the Magic need a traditional point guard who can play impactful minutes. ESPN's Chris Herring pushed for the Magic to pursue Tyus Jones in a sign-and-trade a while ago, and on the latest episode of the Lowe Post podcast, The Athletic's Fred Katz mentioned the team's need for a point guard. 

Meanwhile, Bleacher Report continues to push out mock trades to land the Magic a high-level point guard, which shows an obvious belief that this is the missing piece. Darius Garland has been at the center of some of the most recent mock trades, but now LaMelo Ball has been added to the mix as well.

Bleacher Report's Greg Swartz wrote "Blockbuster Trades We Can Still See Ahead of 2024-25 NBA Season" and proposed a trade to bring LaMelo Ball to Orlando. 

Magic receive: LaMelo Ball 

Hornets receive: Anthony Black, Wendell Carter Jr., Cole Anthony, 2025 first-round pick, 2025 first-round pick (via Denver Nuggets, top-five protected) 

"The Magic are an All-Star point guard away from truly challenging the best teams in the East over the next few years, as this roster still lacks offensive creation," Swartz wrote. 

This seems to be the general consensus among most media members. Whether that point guard is someone as injury-ridden as LaMelo Ball is another question. 

The fact is, however, that the Magic would benefit from a traditional point guard who can play impactful minutes. Depending on Jalen Suggs' development, it might not necessarily have to be an All-Star point guard, and it might not happen this season. The Magic still have time to experiment and figure things out. 2024-25 is not a championship-or-bust season. Expectations are high, but if the Magic don't get far in the playoffs, it won't be a huge disaster. 

However, if they don't get far in the playoffs, it will likely be because of a lack of offensive creation and scoring.