3 Things Magic Fans Need to Know for Schedule Release

The Orlando Magic and the rest of the league will find out what their 2026-27 schedules look like throughout the week.

The Magic have a few items on their list that they are looking forward to finding out as they plan their upcoming season. Here's a look at three things the Magic and their fans should keep an eye on.

The Playoff Rematch: Pistons vs. Magic

Detroit Pistons guard Daniss Jenkins dribbles defended by Orlando Magic guard Jevon Carter. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Magic still feel a little bit of the sting from their last game at the Kia Center back in early May. The Magic had a 24-point lead against the top-seeded Detroit Pistons in Game 6 of their first-round series. A win would have completed the upset and sent Orlando to the second round for the first time since 2010.

A second-half collapse that saw them score just 19 points in the final 24 minutes, however, clinched a devastating loss that extended the series to a seventh game in Detroit, where the Magic had no shot against the Pistons.

When the Pistons play in Orlando for the first time in the 2026-27 season, the Magic will have a little bit more juice for that game than the others. The crowd should be into it as they look to put that ugly Game 6 loss behind them.

This will also give new head coach Sean Sweeney a chance to differentiate himself from Jamahl Mosley as he employs his tactics against the Pistons, who come into the season as the East's No. 1 team from a year ago.

The NBA Cup Games

The Brooklyn Nets NBA Cup logo at center court before tip-off against the Orlando Magic. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

The Magic used the NBA Cup last season to build some momentum in the early part of the season. They went 4-0 in their group and qualified for the knockout round, where they beat the Miami Heat at home. That sent them to Las Vegas for the semifinal, where they lost to the eventual champion New York Knicks.

This year, the Magic have a favorable group in the NBA Cup, as they will play the aforementioned Pistons, Toronto Raptors, Milwaukee Bucks, and Brooklyn Nets. Getting to face off against a pair of rebuilding teams in the Bucks and Nets will give Orlando a chance to boost its point differential as they look to qualify for the knockout round.

As someone who has attended multiple NBA playoff games at the Kia Center, the crowd does get more hyped for these games. It creates an exciting atmosphere that can't be replicated in other games.

When New Stars Come to Town

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James controls the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Orlando is set to roll out the red carpet a little bit more often in the upcoming season for the NBA's brightest stars.

Giannis Antetokounmpo's trade to the Heat means he should be in Orlando a little more often this season. The same can be said for LeBron James, who was with the Los Angeles Lakers and only visited Orlando once per season over the last eight years. Now there's a chance that LeBron could be here twice as often. The same can be said for Kawhi Leonard, who is in the process of having a trade finalized to the Raptors from the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Magic will also host No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa multiple times this season as a division rival of the Washington Wizards.

Orlando's full 82-game schedule will be released on Thursday at 3 p.m. ET.

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