Five most interesting Magic storylines in 2026

With the 2025 having come to an end, here are the five most interesting Orlando Magic storylines to watch in 2026:

5. How high can Anthony Black push his ceiling?

Black pushes — Dec 31, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black (0) dives for the ball while Indiana Pacers guard/forward Aaron Nesmith (23) defends in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Anthony Black has become one of Orlando's most reliable players overnight.

Not only is AB an energetic defender and connective playmaker, but he's grown into a confident scorer, driver, and jammer off the dribble.

With more opportunity as different guys get hurt, Black has shined with more touches, maintaining absurd efficiency like shooting over 40% 3P% on six threes per game since Franz Wagner went down.

How will Orlando's rotation adjust with everyone healthy? This team still needs as much drive-and-kick involvement of Anthony Black as possible.

4. How super could this team be at full health with Jalen Suggs running the show at point guard?

Suggs layup — Dec 13, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs (4) drives to the basket on New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) during a game at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Every lineup metric and net rating stat will show you how important Jalen Suggs has been to this Orlando Magic team this year.

In 564 minutes of play, Suggs has a +8.75 net rating for his Orlando Magic squad; pair him with any combination of teammates and their net rating drastically improves.

Jalen Suggs' two-way impact on the floor between his floor-diving screen-navigating ever-swarming defense and connective playmaking three point spacing point guardian super powers cannot be denied.

The Magic's offense at full strength allows Suggs and Black to lessen their scoring load and instead fill roles as floor-spacing connectors and closeout-attacking three point shooters who can attack the rack with a vengeance and take advantage of mismatches.

This allows him to be as efficient as possible offensively while conserving energy for what they do best at the moment: defend like crazy

3. Will Franz Wagner regain his star form after injury?

Franz flexes — Dec 5, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (22) reacts after a basket against the Miami Heat in the third quarter at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Franz Wagner was on a roll before he went down to injury, putting up All-Star numbers, expected to drop twenty points and create a good look every night with Orlando's top option Paolo out and delivering in that role alongside Desmond Bank.

How quickly will Wagner respond to this injury?

Orlando's pick and roll attack between Franz Wagner and Wendell Carter Jr. is a reliable of offense as it comes for the team.

The Magic need Franz at full strength the rest of the way this season to be their best self.

2. Does Paolo Banchero have another level once he regains full explosiveness?

Banchero fades — Dec 31, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) shoots the ball while Indiana Pacers center/forward Tony Bradley (13) defends in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

After two strong outings, not just in the box score but in his bounce on the floor, Paolo Banchero is beginning to look a lot like Paolo Banchero again.

Banchero's box scores:

29 points, 10 boards, 4 assists, forcing turnovers with a game-winner against Indiana

23 points, 15 rebounds, 10 assists triple-double despite missing a would-be game-winner in Toronto.

More importantly, Paolo looked like his bouncy self again, exploding for dunks, rim-rolls, rebounds, blocks, jump shots, pull-ups, fadeaways.

His athleticism popped off the screen and his explosiveness helped him jumped out of the paint.

Paolo was Paolo again; now the question is, how high can Paolo push his limits?

There are stretches where Banchero puts together All-NBA type runs; could Orlando's lackluster schedule open up a month or two for Paolo to produce at his expected star level, to infinite, or beyond?

Banchero was finding a career-high efficiency before the injury by blending into the new high-pace offense as a rim-rolling play-finisher playmaking hub; how can he pick his spots to still be Paolo and get his points the old fashioned way while keeping the engine moving for the team?

He's showing you these past two games.

The best version of this Magic offense involves Paolo Banchero as the mismatch-proof tough shotmaking downhill force playmaking hub that he is.

1. Can Orlando utilize Desmond Bane and its shooters in movements and motion off ball?

Bane shoots — Dec 27, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic guard Desmond Bane (3) shoots a technical foul shot during the second quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

The Magic might have another level to unlock in their offense.

Orlando has proven the downhill driving game between Franz pick-and-rolls and Desmond Bayne handoffs alongside a popping strong screener like Wendell Carter Jr. works well enough for this offense.

Any playtype involving Paolo Banchero, even him slowing it down with ISOs and post-ups, is an efficient play to keep this offense afloat.

Generally, all of these plays are efficient, creating good looks for this team.

But Magic fans feel like something's missing.

Maybe its simply health; these key players have hardly played together.

But, these pieces should create a sum-of-its parts effect thats greater than the individual talent; there is so much star power, scoring, and shooting, the Magic's offense should always be threatening multiple things at once.

Is there a way for this team to look more like the Warriors with elbow post ups into off-ball split screens? Or is this personnel destined to look more like the Nuggets Jamal-Jokic handoffs with AG sneaking in the dunker spot and shooters spacing and endlessly running off handoffs?

Either of those would be great turnouts, but Orlando still needs to find the offensive identity they can lean on day in and day out.

The Magic's depth gives them great options, and allows them to play differently based on who they have available and who they are playing against.

How can Orlando utilize its depth to stagger creators and threaten defenses with all of them at once?

The defense should be just as if not more worried about 3pt snipers off the ball like Desmond Bane as they are for star scores on the ball like Franz and Paolo.

With Banchero at the elbow, and shooters like Bane/Suggs/Black/Jase relocating constantly, just that idea should be very hard to guard.

Is the constant handoff machine of Bane/Franz/Suggs/Black running off screens by Paolo/Wendell the best this offense can look? If so, lets see it with everyone at full strength before anyone says its time to cast it aside.

This Magic team has found its defensive footing, holding onto a 9th overall rating on the season. That defense is the team's identity and has been for 2+ seasons under Jamahl Mosley.

As Orlando's offense slips to 21st-overall after a hot start, the next goal for this team is finding how to maximize the talent at hand without sacrificing that defensive intensity. How to threaten shooters and stars movements off the ball like Bane relocating for three or Banchero rolling through the paint as much as Franz or Paolo initiating on the ball; make defenses overthink.

The Magic's stars draw fouls and score individually at will, so finding ways to threaten defenses with multiple actions at once while creating good looks for this team through that natural read-and-react decision-making off those simultaneous offensive threats is the last frontier for this Magic offense.