Where are Magic in final NBA power rankings before regular season begins?

The Orlando Magic are going into the 2025-26 season expecting to be one of the best teams in the league.

CBS Sports writer Colin Ward-Henninger agrees, placing the Magic at No. 8 in his final power rankings before the start of the regular season.

"Orlando got exactly what it needed this offseason in Desmond Bane, a secondary creator who doubles as a low-maintenance knock-down spot-up shooter. Factoring in another expected leap from franchise players Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, the Magic could realistically make a run at the No. 1 seed in the East. Injuries are always an issue, but this is a deep team full of capable NBA players," Ward-Henninger wrote.

Orlando Magic center Goga Bitadze grabs the rebound in front of New Orleans Pelicans center Hunter Dickinson. | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

Magic in top 10 for NBA power rankings

The only teams that ranked ahead of the Magic in the power rankings were the Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks and Oklahoma City Thunder.

The high expectations placed on the Magic are no surprise, but they welcome the pressure that comes with the expectations.

"It's a young group, and I think that they have to process all that stuff together," Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said. "I think our coaches have done an amazing job messaging that that we haven't earned anything. We haven't done anything yet. I think our players know that. They know that everything that they get has to be earned."

The Magic know that they are expected to do better than the 41-41 record than they posted last season, but they should be healthier with Jalen Suggs expected to get back to the lineup early in the season and Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner no longer hampered by their oblique injuries.

On top of that, the return of Moe Wagner in the middle of the season and inclusion of Desmond Bane and Tyus Jones in the lineup gives the Magic a chance to be one of the best teams in the league.

The Magic start the season off with a three-game home stretch as they welcome the Miami Heat, Atlanta Hawks and Chicago Bulls to central Florida.

Magic in top 10 for NBA power rankings

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