Orlando
Magic ROSTER
0-2 • 15th in EASTERN CONFERENCE
| NAME | POS | AGE | SALARY | HT | WT | COLLEGE | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #0 | AnthonyBlack | G | 20 | $7,607,760 | 6' 7" | 200 lbs | ARKANSAS | |
| #2 | CalebHoustan | G | 21 | $2,019,699 | 6' 8" | 205 lbs | MICHIGAN | |
| #50 | ColeAnthony | G | 24 | $12,900,000 | 6' 2" | 185 lbs | NORTH CAROLINA | |
| #10 | CoryJoseph | G | 33 | $3,303,771 | 6' 2" | 200 lbs | TEXAS | |
| #22 | FranzWagner | F | 23 | $7,007,092 | 6' 10" | 220 lbs | MICHIGAN | |
| #14 | GaryHarris | G | 30 | $7,500,000 | 6' 4" | 210 lbs | MICHIGAN STATE | |
| #35 | GogaBitadze | C-F | 25 | $9,057,971 | 6' 10" | 250 lbs | N/A | |
| #18 | JalenSlawson | F | 24 | N/A | 6' 7" | 215 lbs | FURMAN | |
| #4 | JalenSuggs | G | 23 | $9,188,385 | 6' 5" | 205 lbs | GONZAGA | |
| #24 | JarrettCulver | G-F | 25 | N/A | 6' 6" | 195 lbs | TEXAS TECH | |
| #13 | JettHoward | F | 21 | $5,278,320 | 6' 6" | 215 lbs | MICHIGAN | |
| #1 | JonathanIsaac | F | 27 | $25,000,000 | 6' 10" | 230 lbs | FLORIDA STATE | |
| #3 | KentaviousCaldwell-Pope | G | 31 | $22,757,000 | 6' 5" | 204 lbs | GEORGIA | |
| #8 | MacMcClung | G | 25 | N/A | 6' 2" | 185 lbs | TEXAS TECH | |
| #21 | MoritzWagner | F-C | 27 | $11,000,000 | 6' 11" | 245 lbs | MICHIGAN | |
| #5 | PaoloBanchero | F | 21 | $12,160,800 | 6' 10" | 250 lbs | DUKE | |
| #12 | TrevelinQueen | G | 27 | N/A | 6' 5" | 190 lbs | NEW MEXICO STATE | |
| #34 | WendellCarter | C-F | 25 | $11,950,000 | 6' 10" | 270 lbs | DUKE |
Current Magic Roster Status
Action-packed is not a word you can use to describe the Orlando Magic's offseason. Not many changes were made to the squad, as the front office looks to go on another run with pretty much the same side in 2020-21.
Orlando was not involved in any trades, but they did bring in former Charlotte Hornets shooting guard Dwayne Bacon via free agency. Their most significant addition, however, came in the form of rookie Cole Anthony, who the Magic selected 15th overall in the 2020 NBA Draft. Anthony, a 6-foot-2 point guard coming out of UNC, figures to serve as Orlando's primary backup at the one spot.
The Magic did lose a number of guys in free agency including D.J. Augustin and Wes Iwundu.
In terms of player contracts, Orlando extended a couple of key players to long-term deals during the offseason.
After an injury-riddled 2019-20 campaign, highly-promising 23-year-old power forward Jonathan Isaac penned a massive $70 million extension for four years. The Magic committed their future to the 6-foot-11 big man in spite of the fact that Isaac is not expected to play this season after he underwent knee surgery in August.
Another prospect for the future for Orlando is former first overall pick Markelle Fultz, who signed a $50 million deal that will see him remain with the Magic until 2024. Unfortunately, after a strong start to the season, Fultz suffered a season-ending ACL tear, which pretty much derailed Orlando's plans for the campaign.
Rookie Cole Anthony was handed over the reins of the offense in the wake of Fultz's injury, becoming the Magic’s starting point guard. He is joined by Evan Fournier, Aaron Gordon, Dwayne Bacon, and Nikola Vucevic in the starting unit.
Coming off Orlando's bench are Terrence Ross, James Ennis, Michael Carter-Williams, Khem Birch, Gary Clark, Chuma Okeke, and Jordan Bone.
orlando magic Team Analysis
Offense
—The Orlando Magic were one of the worst teams in the NBA last season and their 21 wins ranked third-worst in the league just above the Houston Rockets (20 wins) and the Detroit Pistons (21 wins). This had a lot to do with Orlando's poor offensive showing throughout the season, with the Magic garnering a 104.6 offensive rating in 2020-21 -- second to last in the NBA.
The most important metric on offense is scoring and the Magic were pretty terrible at it last season. This team averaged just 104.0 points per game last term, which ranked a lowly 29th in the league. They barely beat out the league-worst Cleveland Cavaliers, who themselves put up 103.8 points per game. Orlando parted ways with three out of their top four scorers during the trade deadline in Nikola Vucevic, Evan Fournier, and Aaron Gordon, so it comes to no surprise that they struggled mightily on offense after the deadline.
In terms of field goals, the Magic actually attempted a considerable amount of shots per game. They took an average of 89.2 shots per game, which was ninth in the NBA. It was their shooting rate that killed them, with the team averaging a league-worst 42.9 percent shooting collectively. Their efficiency from distance didn't help their cause either. Orlando shot just 34.3 percent from three-point territory last season (27th) which resulted in just 10.9 treys per contest (26th).
The Magic were a mediocre team in terms of getting to the line. They attempted 21.4 free throws per contest, which was 15th in the league. Their 77.5-percent shooting clip from the charity stripe ranked 16th in the NBA.
Orlando didn't move the ball around too well either, averaging just 21.8 assists per game (28th). One thing to build on next season, though, was their relatively low turnover rate in 2020-21. The Magic turned the ball over an average of just 12.8 times per contest, which is fifth in the NBA.
Defense
—The Magic were pretty bad on offense and they did not fare too well on the defensive end either last season. All in all, they ranked 26th in the NBA with a defensive rating of 113.9.
Orlando allowed their opponents to score 113.3 points per contest, which ranked 20th in the league. Opposing teams attempted an average of 89.7 shots per game against the Magic (23rd), while making 47.1 percent of their total attempts (21st). Orlando also allowed opponents to attempt 36.8 triples per game (25th), with 37.3 percent of those shots finding the bottom of the net (21st).
One bright spot for the Magic was their ability to keep opposing teams' free throw attempts relatively low. Opponents took just 19.3 free throws per game against Orlando, which ranked third in the league. The Magic's 18.7 fouls per game was 12th in the NBA.
In terms of crashing the boards, Orlando actually fared pretty well last season. They averaged 45.4 total rebounds per game, which was seventh in the league. They traded away their best rebounder in Nikola Vucevic at the trade deadline, though, as he took his 11.8 rebounds per game to Chicago.
Orlando averaged 6.9 steals per game (25th) while forcing their opponents to 12.7 turnovers per contest (24th). Protecting the rim was another issue for this team last season as they averaged just 4.4 blocks per game (24th).
Coaching
—The Orlando Magic are just one of a handful of teams around the league who will enter the 2021-22 season with a rookie head coach. Jamahl Mosley takes over the reins after the Magic decided to part ways with Steve Clifford following a three-year stint with the team. Mosley has zero experience in the league as a head coach, but he's been an assistant since 2005. Prior to being hired by the Magic, Mosley served as an assistant with the Denver Nuggets, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Dallas Mavericks.
Mosley also brought in a new set of assistant coaches with him. Nate Tibbetts, Jesse Mermuys, Dale Osbourne, and Bret Brielmaier will all serve as part of Mosley's new-look coaching staff. Lionel Chalmers, who was Clifford's associate head coach and man in charge of player development, is the only member of the coaching staff that has transitioned to the new regime.
Top orlando magic Roster Questions
Who Did The Magic Recently Sign?
—On August 6, The Magic signed Robin Lopez to a one-year deal worth $5 million.
Last season, Lopez plied his trade with the Washington Wizards, averaging 9.0 points and 3.8 rebounds in 19.1 minutes per game. The 7-foot center adds some depth to Orlando's frontcourt, and his veteran presence could also be beneficial for the Magic's young roster.
Who Are The Magic Targeting In Free Agency?
—Unlike a number of other teams around the league, the Magic were not very active in this summer's free agency. Their only two signings came in the form of 33-year-old big man Robin Lopez, who penned a one-year deal worth $5 million. Orlando also signed 6-foot-11 center Moritz Wagner to a two-year extension after the 24-year-old joined the squad in the middle of last season via trade.
It is worth noting, however, that the Magic appears to have gotten their hands on their point guard of the future via the draft. With their fifth overall pick, Orlando selected Jalen Suggs from Gonzaga in what many consider to be an excellent addition to the team. The Magic also held the rights for the eighth overall pick, which they used on 19-year-old forward Franz Wagner, who happens to be the brother of Moritz Wagner.
Who Did The Magic Most Recently Trade For?
—Orlando's most recent trade transaction came in the form of a draft-day deal with the Los Angeles Clippers. The Magic received a 2026 second-round pick from LA in exchange for 6-foot-4 guard Jason Preston, who the Magic selected 33rd overall in the draft. Preston, 22, averaged 16.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 7.4 assists as a sophomore with Ohio last season.
What Is The Best Magic Roster Of All-Time?
—The Magic's best roster in franchise history has to be the team they fielded in the 1994-95 season. A 22-year-old Shaquille O'Neal, in just his second year in the league, led Orlando all the way to the Finals that year. He had quite a supporting cast as well in Anfernee Hardaway, Nick Anderson, Horace Grant, and Dennis Scott, to name a few.
That year, the Magic won 57 games as they finished first in the East. Come playoff time, they defeated the Boston Celtics in the first round and then eliminated a returning Michael Jordan and his Chicago Bulls in the second round. They came out on top of the Eastern Conference Finals following an epic seven-game series against Reggie Miller and the Indiana Pacers. Unfortunately, they proved no match to the Houston Rockets in the Finals, as Hakeem Olajuwon and Co. swept their way to their second consecutive NBA championship.
Since being founded in 1990, the Magic have reached the Finals twice. The second time Orlando reached the pinnacle was when Dwight Howard led them to the 2009 Finals, only to fall to Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers.
What Is The Magic's Salary Cap?
—The Orlando Magic enter the 2021-22 season with a total cap of $132.4 million, per spotrac. Unless the Magic make the necessary adjustments to lower down their threshold, this team will operate over the cap by roughly $20 million.
Orlando's highest-paid player is Gary Harris, who will be pocketing $20.5 million this coming season. Jonathan Isaac ($17.4 million), Markelle Fultz ($16.5 million), and Terrence Ross ($12.5 million) are the three other players on the team who will be earning more than $10 million next year. Second-year big man Mo Bamba rounds out the Top 5 with a salary of $7.6 million.
