Eastern Conference · Southeast Division

Orlando Magic

Orlando · Kia Center · Founded in 1989 · No NBA titles

Stuck Pays like a heavyweight, plays like the pack Go to another franchise

43.5projected wins
25.5years, core age
4years of window
223.3 Mpayroll, over the second apron
+0.2net rating in 2025-26 (18th)

What would you do with the Orlando Magic? Propose a trade, an extension or the team's direction, and test it in its Trade Machine. Have your say →

The franchise

Front office and bench

Ownership: DeVos family (RDV Sports; Dan DeVos, chairman)
President of Basketball Operations: Jeff Weltman since 2017
General Manager: Anthony Parker since 2025

Head coach

Sean Sweeney since 2026

First head coaching job; arrives as the Spurs' lead assistant after stints in Milwaukee, Detroit and Dallas, with a reputation as a demanding defensive specialist.

Assistants

Joe PruntyLead assistant coach
Greg BucknerAssistant coach
Popeye JonesAssistant coach
Tom BialaszewskiAssistant coach
Jacqlyn PossAssistant coach
DJ BakkerAssistant coach and director of player development
John BeileinSenior coaching consultant

The direction

What the franchise says and what its moves show

Orlando is keeping its core together and betting on a coaching change to take the next step: Weltman asked Sweeney to make a stagnant offense more efficient without losing the defensive identity. The project still revolves around Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, with Desmond Bane and Jalen Suggs as the main complementary pieces, after a quiet summer on the market.

Building around

Paolo Banchero Franz Wagner Desmond Bane Jalen Suggs

What they have said

He argued that Sweeney, though known for defense, also has an offensive background and can bring order to the team's offense.
President of basketball operations Jeff Weltman · Orlando Magic / Hoops Rumors · June 2026

What the data points to

Seller Very likely
- Nikola Vučević is the kind of veteran a contender asks for in February.
- They are no use to this project in the medium term.
Clean up the books Very likely
- Spends 223.3 M and is over the second apron.
- Jalen Suggs and Desmond Bane are paid more than they produce.
- It is 22.9 M over the tax, and every extra million costs another one and a half or more in penalties.
- Expiring contracts appeal to it: swapping long money for salary that runs out frees up room for the summer.

Moves

Summer 2026

Jamahl Mosley fired (May 4) after five seasons; Sean Sweeney hired as head coach (announced June 1).
Draft: they only had No. 46 (Felix Okpara), traded to Washington for No. 51, Izaiyah Nelson.
Nikola Vučević returns on a one-year deal.
Jonathan Isaac and Jevon Carter re-sign; Malaki Branham and JD Davison arrive as free agents.
Moritz Wagner leaves for Brooklyn; Jett Howard also departs.

Latest

Oct 17 Waived Waived Fs Malaki Branham and Kevin Knox II. Waived G JD Davison.
Oct 6 Waived Waived G Johnell Davis.
Oct 5 Waived Waived G Mike Sharavjamts.

The roster

14 NBA contracts · 2026-27 salaries

Player	Age	Salary	Through
Starters
Jalen Suggs G	25	32.4 M	2029-30
Desmond Bane G	28	39.4 M	2028-29
Franz Wagner F	25	41.8 M	2029-30
Paolo Banchero F	23	41.5 M	2030-31
Wendell Carter Jr. C Bargain	27	18.1 M	2028-29
Rotation
Anthony Black G Expiring · will re-sign	22	10.1 M	2026-27
Nikola Vucevic C	35	2.4 M	2026-27
Tristan da Silva F	25	4.0 M	2027-28
Jamal Cain F	27	2.6 M	2026-27
Jevon Carter G	31	2.4 M	2026-27
The rest
Goga Bitadze C Expiring	27	7.6 M	2026-27
Jase Richardson G	21	3.1 M	2028-29
Jonathan Isaac F Expiring	29	10.4 M	2026-27
Alex Morales G	28	–	–
Colin Castleton C	26	–	–
Noah Penda F Injured	21	2.2 M	2028-29
Izaiyah Nelson F Injured	23	–	–

The analysis, with data

Strengths and weaknesses

Strengths

Playmaking 5th with today’s roster
Defensive rebounding 5th · 75.6 % of opponent misses rebounded
Defense 6th with today’s roster
Rim protection 6th with today’s roster
Rebounding 7th with today’s roster

Weaknesses

Three-point accuracy 27th · 34.3 % from three
Three-point volume 24th · 38.6 % of its shots are threes

Today's roster, facet by facet (league rank)

Defense 6th
Rim protection 6th
Three-point shooting 22nd
Playmaking 5th
Scoring 12th
Rebounding 7th
Offensive impact 15th

How it played as a team in 2025-26

Offensive ratingpoints per 100 possessions	115.3	19th
Defensive ratingpoints allowed per 100 possessions	115.2	11th
Net ratingper 100 possessions	+0.2	18th
Pacepossessions per game	99.4	12th
Three-point volumeof its shots are threes	38.6 %	24th
Three-point accuracyfrom three	34.3 %	27th
Offensive reboundingof its misses rebounded	25.0 %	18th
Defensive reboundingof opponent misses rebounded	75.6 %	5th
Ball securityturnovers per 100 possessions	13.6	12th
Ball movementof its baskets are assisted	64.7 %	12th

Roster holes

Weak in three-point shootingWith today’s rotation it ranks 22nd in the league in three-point shooting.

Contracts and extensions

Expiring this season

Goga Bitadze 26 years old · paid 7.6 M Salary coming off the books
Anthony Black 22 years old · paid 10.1 M Restricted free agent Re-signing him would cost about 13.1 M a year
Jamal Cain 26 years old · paid 2.6 M Salary coming off the books
Jonathan Isaac 28 years old · paid 10.4 M Salary coming off the books

Bargains (produce far above their salary, for several years)

Wendell Carter Jr.paid 18.1 M, produces like 34.1 M · through 2028-29

Pricey but short (paid more than they produce, but ending soon)

None.

Money and picks

Payroll 223.3 M Cap 165.0 M Tax 200.4 M 1st apron 209.0 M 2nd apron 221.7 M

Payroll: 223.3 M · over the second apron
Distance to each line: tax: 22.9 M over · 1st apron: 14.3 M over · 2nd apron: 1.6 M over
Next summer: 203.1 M committed · no cap space
First-rounders it can trade: None · 1 swap · the 2031 pick is frozen by the second apron

Radar and possible trades

Who could ask about its players

PHI → Goga Bitadzefills its hole at bigs, expiring contract, produces above his salary
DEN → Goga Bitadzeexpiring contract, produces above his salary
HOU → Tristan Da Silvasigned through 2027-28, produces above his salary

A trade that works under the CBA

ORL gets

Bogdan Bogdanović

HOU gets

Tristan Da Silva

Try it in the Trade Machine ↓

Trade pieces

Assets: Wendell Carter Jr. (worth 14.5 M more than his salary), Nikola Vučević (worth 26.8 M more than his salary), Tristan Da Silva (worth 4.3 M more than his salary), Goga Bitadze (worth 4.6 M more than his salary)
Contracts that weigh: Jalen Suggs (overpaid by 10.0 M), Desmond Bane (overpaid by 8.9 M)
To match salaries: Jonathan Isaac (10.4 M), Anthony Black (10.1 M)

Your turn

What would you do with the Orlando Magic?

Send us your take: a trade, an extension or the team's direction. The best ones make it onto the podcast.

Your trade, in the Trade Machine

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