Even though the Orlando Magic are in the middle of a playoff series, it is hard not to have at least some mind on a big offseason ahead for this team.
The Magic failed to meet expectations amid an injury-filled season. They struggled to get themselves going offensively. There are major roster flaws that have been impossible to gameplan around, despite the emergence of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner as clear-cut future All-NBA players.
There is a lot to build with even if there are challenges ahead.
Just how much is there to build with? There might be no better place to get that answer than the players. In The Athletic's annual anonymous player poll, the Magic are not front and center, but there are a lot of positive signs that show the Magic have a good reputation around the league.
As Orlando enters the next phase of its rebuild, the team will need to navigate some treacherous cap waters. Having some goodwill from players will go a long way to helping establish themselves for free agents and trades in the future.
More than that, it is a reminder that despite a frustrating season that exposed many of the Magic's inherent flaws, the Magic are still considered an up-and-coming team in the NBA and a future contender. Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazulla acknowledged before Game 1 that the Orlando Magic are not a typical 7-seed.
That is seen throughout the player poll. Both Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner received at least one vote for the most underrated player (one player voted Wagner as his most overrated player). The Magic also received multiple votes as the league's best organization.
These players and the franchise are not at the top of any of these lists. The Magic are still a team trying to make noise and make an impact. This season certainly was a bump in the process as the Magic failed to climb the standings because of their injuries.
A lot has changed for the Magic. And these seemingly good vibes on the team and its growth are starting to wear off. That puts a lot of pressure on this season to make good on the optimism and goodwill the rest of the league has for the team.
The Magic are not at a point of no return or point of desperation. But this offseason is a crossroads to send the Magic up the standings or place them in the middle and the Play-In ringer for a longer period.
These opinions could greatly change when this poll is taken next year. The Magic's story is still being written.
This offseason will be big for the Magic
Everyone expects Orlando to make some major moves this offseason. Everyone expects the team to make a meaningful addition to the offense and probably also add a starting-level point guard.
President of basketball operations Jeff Weltman has bet on continuity the last two offseasons. He said entering this season that continuity only works when the team is winning. For the first time since hitting the reset button at the trade deadline, the Magic have taken a step back.
It is impossible to believe this team will bring most of the roster back without some tweaking and changes.
The question that a lot of astute people have is whether the Magic can swing the kind of deals that dramatically improve the roster with so many players who underperformed this season. Not to mention the long-term contracts the team handed out to players like Wendell Carter and Jonathan Isaac.
The Magic will likely need to take a gamble. And while there is no such thing as an untradeable contract, it feels like the Magic are in a tricky spot over the tax line.
The path forward is not as clear as it once was even with two potential perennial All-Stars on the roster. That alone will make the Magic attractive moving forward. That is the place the Magic will begin.
For now, the Magic's rough season has not dampened many moods. Orlando is still floating in the background as a team on the rise and a team that players take note of as one nobody is talking about or even takes care of its players.
That will help down the road.
But clearly the Magic have work to do after this season ends to make good on this promise.