The Orlando Magic have a lot of questions to ask themselves this offseason.
A first-round loss for the third straight year, especially after the investments the Magic made in the roster, has everything on the table for the Magic, it seems.
The team has to ask itself how it will get better. That means considering some unthinkable things.
After the season, the Magic painted the picture of a team beset with bad injuries and a starting lineup that, when healthy, dominated its competition. Orlando has something to work with. But the team still did not deliver at critical moments.
The season, in many ways, became an indictment of Paolo Banchero narratively. With Franz Wagner out of the lineup for the majority of the season, Paolo Banchero was on full display. And he and the team struggled, going 26-25 during those 51 games.
That has led to the Internet's favorite trade rumor as the offseason begins -- one that has haunted the Magic all season long with whispers and trade machine spins since Banchero's struggles this season became apparent.
Are the Magic a team that is in the running for Giannis Antetokounmpo?
Sam Amick and Eric Nehm of The Athletic pondered the Magic's offer for Antetokounmpo, noting that Banchero would be a huge prize as a young star to jumpstart the Bucks' post-Antetokounmpo life. They noted the various connections between the Magic's front office and Antetokounmpo -- advisor John Hammond was the general manager in Milwaukee when the Bucks drafted Antetokounmpo.
There are at least some legs to it. Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported the Magic inquired about Antetokounpo around the trade deadline. Who is to say those talks could not be revisited -- just as who can say how serious those talks were?
The Bucks are officially soliciting trade offers for Antetokounmpo now, Shams Charania of ESPN reports. This thing is going to get very real.
This is an idea that seemingly will not die. And it is a silly idea the Magic should pass on.
Banchero has a lot of room to grow
Ultimately, so much of this debate and this conversation centers on whether you believe in Paolo Banchero's continued growth.
He undoubtedly stagnated this season for various reasons -- an early-season groin injury slowed him down -- but he is just 23 years old and continues to prove himself as a playoff riser.
Banchero averaged only 22.2 points per game this season. He added a career-best 8.4 rebounds per game and 45.9 percent shooting. He also added 5.2 assists per game. Banchero averaged 26.3 points, 9.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game in the Playoffs with games of 45 points and 38 points in Games 5 and 7.
All of that has still not been enough. The Magic had a -0.2 net rating with Paolo Banchero on the floor, a mark that beat only Tyus Jones among rotation players.
Banchero has always produced the counting stats but his impact on the game has been a bigger question. It is the big thing that he has to overcome.
"I think Paolo is really hard on himself,” president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said last week. “He’s really competitive. He’s really driven. He’s a great learner. I think our group is really attached, and I think they believe. Paolo, I think, shows you who he is in the Playoffs. Some of this, as I always come back to, we have to look at ourselves and our roster construction. It starts in the summer and builds out through the season. I think Paolo is going to have a great season next year."
On a grander scale, the Magic turned into a playoff team upon Banchero's arrival. He is vital to their hopes. And Banchero is a consistent scorer that gets them through games. But he has also never had a positive on-court net rating.
This season was a special struggle.
Something seemed off with him all year -- whether it was something physical dating back to training camp or whether it was an issue he had with coach Jamahl Mosley that bubbled up throughout the entire year. Banchero did not seem to be able to reach that superstar gear consistently all season.
Banchero has shown enough that the Magic rightfully gave him a max contract -- the full Rose Rule with the fifth year player option is fair to debate. At 23 years old, Banchero still has a lot of room to grow.
But the pressure is certainly on him to grow. And the Magic do not have time to wait if that growth is apparent in the 2027 season.
Giannis' window is closing
If the Orlando Magic were to trade Paolo Banchero, Giannis Antetokounmpo is the caliber of player the Magic would pursue. They would demand only an All-NBA, MVP-level player for Banchero. That is how the Magic view Banchero -- and how they need him to play to get where they want to go.
Orlando is in a win-now mode. The team mortgaged its future draft capital for Desmond Bane and will be in the luxury tax for the first time since 2012. The team fully acknowledges it has reached that threshold.
If the team no longer believes Banchero can anchor the team, it is imperative the team sell early.
But Antetokounmpo comes with his own set of risks.
He remains one of the best players in the league and a perennial MVP candidate. But he also has not finished his seasons healthy as the Bucks have struggled to climb out of the first round.
He appeared in only 36 games last season. He was injured during the past two postseasons despite being relatively healthy in the regular season.
At 31 years old, Antetokounmpo is still in his prime. But considering he does not have much of a jumper, he could age very quickly.
And the reason the Bucks are looking to trade him now is that he has a player option in the summer of 2027. He has one year left on his deal and both sides are at a stalemate over an extension. Antetokounmpo is looking for one more big contract. Whoever acquires him will be committed to him for the next five years as he begins to decline.
Perhaps Antetokounmpo alone is enough to make a team like the Magic a title contender. Acquiring a player of his caliber would open that window immediately, whether the team is ready or not.
It is understandable why the Magic might be circumspect to jump in and go deeper into the hole.
It feels unlikely the Magic will move on from Banchero. They should want to see him with a new coach and in a new context. Banchero has shown enough to keep faith.
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