Magic seek offense, won’t sacrifice elite defense

After four losing seasons, the Orlando Magic improved to 47–35 last year and made the playoffs, narrowly falling to the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games.

This season, they added veteran Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, but injuries to key players like Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner led to a 41–41 record.

Orlando earned the 7th seed via the play-in but lost in five games to the Boston Celtics.

Despite boasting the NBA’s second-best defense, their offense lagged, ranking near the bottom in scoring and three-point shooting.

As the team shifts into a “win-now” mindset for 2025–26, President Jeff Weltman emphasized the need for proven scorers:

“Clearly, we need to shoot the ball better,” said Weltman. “Veteran help, proven offensive help is what we’re going to be looking for.”

With limited cap space, the Magic will likely pursue roster upgrades through trades. Weltman stressed the importance of improving the offense without compromising the team’s defensive identity:

“We have to be very cognizant of not unraveling the DNA of our team.”