The Orlando Magic were one of last season's surprise teams. Despite still being incredibly young, the Magic had one of the best defenses in the league and made it to the playoffs for the first time since 2019. While they struggled at times in the playoffs, it was overall a very successful season.
Paolo Banchero officially rose to the All-Star level in only his second season, Jalen Suggs established himself as an All-Defensive guard, Franz Wagner averaged career-highs all across the board despite struggling with his shot, and Jonathan Isaac played 58 games. Orlando took its first step towards being a real force in the Eastern Conference for years to come.
Hoping to capitalize on last season's success, the Magic brought back the majority of the roster. The only rotational play they did not re-sign is Markelle Fultz, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and rookie Tristan da Silva are the only notable new additions.
Expectations for next season are high already, as fans are hoping to see their team win a playoff series.
Projected Magic starting lineup
Point Guard | Shooting Guard | Small Forward | Power Forward | Center |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Jalen Suggs | Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | Franz Wagner | Paolo Banchero | Wendell Carter Jr. |
None of the names on this list should be a surprise. Paolo Banchero is the face of the franchise and will be the team's starting power forward for as long as he wants to stay in Orlando. Similarly, Franz Wagner is the Magic's second star and the other starting forward.
Wendell Carter Jr. was the starting center last season when he was healthy, and for now, there is no reason to believe that the team will move away from that. There have been calls for the Magic to upgrade the center position as well as the point guard spot. They did not go out and get a traditional point guard, however, so Jalen Suggs will fill that role.
Last but not least, newly signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will take the last starting spot as the shooting guard. He adds veteran championship experience to this young starting lineup and good outside shooting.
Bench rotation
Sixth Man
If healthy, Jonathan Isaac should be the Magic's sixth man. He is one of the best defenders in the league and a big boost to the Magic's strong defense anytime he steps onto the court. Offensively, he still has room to grow, but that should come with more playing time. Isaac is entering the offseason healthy, which bodes well for his availability in 2024-25.
Key bench players
Gary Harris
After a disappointing playoff showing, it was a bit of a surprise to see the Magic bring back Gary Harris. On the other hand, it makes sense, however. A team with few respected 3-point shooters should not let one of them walk. Moving to a bench role, Harris will hopefully provide a nice two-way presence for the second unit.
Moritz Wagner
All of last season, Mortiz Wagner provided an energy boost off the bench. In 2024-25, the team will look to him to offer the same thing once again. Considering Wendell Carter Jr.'s injury history, it is important for the Magic to have strong backup play at the center position.
Cole Anthony
Last season, Cole Anthony was the Magic's sixth man. If Isaac is not healthy, he could fill that role again, providing a solid scoring punch off the bench. At the same time, however, he could lose some minutes to youngsters Anthony Black and Jett Howard.
Anthony Black
Fans are eager to see Anthony Black get consistent minutes. While that is not off the table, he will have to earn those minutes and convince Coach Jamahl Mosley to play him over some of his more veteran teammates.
Jett Howard
Last season, Jett Howard barely saw the NBA court and spent most of his time in the G League. In 2024-25, he will have to battle for minutes, but his chances are certainly better than last season. The Magic drafted him for his shooting and he has played well in Summer League so far.
Tristan da Silva
Rookie Tristan da Silva is entering the NBA with much more experience than last year's first-round picks and should get a chance to play backup forward minutes. He looks NBA-ready and promises to add some 3-point shooting to the rotation.
Goga Bitadze
Goga Bitadze was great when he got to play last season, but once Wendell Carter Jr. was healthy he found himself spending a lot of time on the bench. Re-signing him was injury insurance for Carter. It also offers the Magic the option to play someone who is a solid rim-protector at the center spot. Playing Isaac there did not work out very well in the playoffs.
Full Orlando Magic depth chart
PG | SG | SF | PF | C | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Starter | Jalen Suggs | KCP | Franz Wagner | Paolo Banchero | Wendell Carter Jr. |
Backups | Cole Anthony, Anthony Black, Cory Joseph | Gary Harris, Jett Howard | Tristan da Silva, Caleb Houstan | Jonathan Isaac | Moritz Wagner, Goga Bitadze |
The Magic just filled their last roster spot with point guard Cory Joseph, making the team very guard-heavy. As a result, players like Anthony Black, Cole Anthony, Gary Harris and Jett Howard might move between different guard and wing positions depending on what the team needs at the moment. In reality, the depth chart is much less static than it appears to be on paper.