Scan the NBA preseason power rankings from an array of national media, and you can find the Magic mostly in the middle of the pack across the league.
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The Ringer‘s Michael Pina recently ranked Orlando 15th out of the 30 NBA teams. The same goes for SB Nation‘s Ricky O’Donnell. USA Today listed the Magic 16th. Meanwhile, NBA.com‘s John Schuhmann slotted Orlando 10th out of 15 clubs in the Eastern Conference.
After three consecutive first-round exits in the playoffs, those preseason projections don’t bother Jeff Weltman, the team’s president of basketball operations.
“Last year, I think they picked us to win the East,” Weltman said Monday at the team’s media day held inside the AdventHealth Training Center. “Honestly, I much prefer this summer. I much prefer the focus, the attention, the notoriety being drawn to other teams.”
“We’ve just gone about our work quietly,” Weltman added. “We’ve done a lot of good work here. I think a lot of important work.”
One of the reasons the Magic haven’t quite caught the eye of the national media is because of their relatively quiet summer.
After re-signing veterans Jonathan Isaac and Jevon Carter while also exercising a team option for Jamal Cain, Orlando brought back the majority of the roster from last season. The Magic only signed one new free agent when they reunited with fan favorite Nikola Vucevic and also drafted Izaiyah Nelson in the second round, adding him on a two-way contract.
Pictures: Orlando Magic Media Day 2026
Departures included Moe Wagner, who signed as a free agent with the Brooklyn Nets, and Jett Howard, Orlando’s 2023 lottery pick who signed a two-way contract as a free agent with the Dallas Mavericks.
Of course, the Magic’s major move this offseason was firing Jamahl Mosley and hiring Sean Sweeney, a first-time NBA head coach who’s known for his intense style. An assistant for over a decade in the league, Sweeney last directed the stout defense of the San Antonio Spurs, who fell in June in the NBA Finals to the New York Knicks.
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A common theme shared among the players Monday when talking about Sweeney was his clear and consistent approach to coaching.
“It’s just been constant communication,” said Magic forward Paolo Banchero, who added that he and Sweeney spent time together in Banchero’s hometown of Seattle this summer. “Him telling me what he expects from me, asking me what I want and stuff like that … Can’t ask for anything more from a new coach.”
“He expects us to do what we’re being told to do,” Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. said of Sweeney. “As a player, that’s what you dream of. That’s what you want. You want to be held to a standard and when you’re not meeting that standard, to be told that you’re not doing it.”
Added Magic guard Desmond Bane about Sweeney: “I’ve been extremely impressed with his approach. I think that his care factor is through the roof. He says it all the time, this is the job that he wanted.”
While others teams, such as the Philadelphia 76ers (who traded for Boston’s Jaylen Brown and signed LeBron James), made flashy moves, the Magic believe roster continuity under the guidance of a new staff led by Sweeney will carry them throughout the season and beyond the first round of the postseason.
Weltman welcomes the lack of attention brought towards Orlando entering the season.
“Our players are beginning to get to an age where they are understanding what goes into winning (and) what goes into getting out of the playoffs,” Weltman said. “The integration with the coaching staff has been terrific. So, honestly, I would say it doesn’t matter, I don’t care, but actually, I like it. It’s great.
“We’ve all got to play the games. That’s all that matters.”
The Magic open training camp Tuesday. After a week of practice, the Magic open the preseason Oct. 7 at Memphis. Orlando’s regular season begins Oct. 21 versus Atlanta at Kia Center.
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Jason Beede can be reached at [email protected]