Most Glaring Roster Hole Magic Must Fill This Offseason

The Orlando Magic enter the 2026 offseason at a crossroads.

After a rollercoaster 45-37 season that ended in a heartbreaking seven-game series loss against the top-seeded Detroit Pistons, the front office fired head coach Jamahl Mosley after five seasons. Still, president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman and the rest of the front office must face an uncomfortable truth.

The roster next to Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner needs a traditional floor general to reach the next level.

While the roster boasts All-Star talent and defensive grit, the lack of a reliable late-game floor general cost them dearly in the playoffs. Here is why securing a high-level point guard is the Magic's top priority this summer.

Magic Need Someone to Settle Things Down

Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs warms up before the game against the Detroit Pistons. | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

The most damning evidence for a roster change came in Game 6 against the Pistons. The Magic blew a 24-point lead, famously missing 23 straight shots in the fourth quarter. Without a veteran guard to settle the offense, the team reverted to "hero ball," leading to Banchero and Wagner needing to create on their own.

Maximizing the Core

Orlando already has its "Big Three" in Banchero, Franz Wagner and Desmond Bane. However, Banchero is currently asked to do too much. By bringing in a primary playmaker, the Magic can relieve Banchero's workload, unlock Bane as a 3-point specialist and optimize Anthony Black, a fourth-year pro that has the tools to become a franchise point guard.

Solving the Jalen Suggs Dilemma

Jalen Suggs remains the emotional heartbeat of the team, but his offensive identity is still a question mark.

Suggs averaged a career-high 5.5 assists, but his 3-point shooting fell to 24.1 percent in the playoffs. Transitioning Suggs to a secondary role, or using his valuable $32.4 million contract as a trade chip, could net the Magic a more polished distributor. If he stays, he is better suited as a defensive specialist rather than the primary offensive engine.

The Offseason Blueprint

With no first-round pick this year, the Magic must be aggressive in free agency or the trade market.

The Magic could also get the right coach to mold Suggs and Black into guards who can control the game better. Suggs and Black came into the league with Mosley as their head coach, so putting them under someone else's guidance could be what the Magic need in order to unlock that part of the roster.

The Verdict

The Magic have the size, the defense and the stars, but they lack an architect. If Orlando fails to secure a point guard who can navigate a playoff defense, the team risks wasting the prime years of a roster that is clearly ready to contend for the Eastern Conference crown.

Orlando can make a bold trade for a guard, like Jrue Holiday of the Portland Trail Blazers, but it's more likely for the Magic to bring in a coach that has a clear-cut plan to mold Black and Suggs into the players that need to work next to Banchero, Wagner and Bane.

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