Magic Eyeing Offseason Upgrades: ‘What We Need is Proven Shot-Making’

The Orlando Magic took a step forward last season. This year, they stalled out.

After snapping a four-year postseason drought with a 47-win campaign and hard-fought series loss to Cleveland, the Magic regressed to 41-41 in 2024–25. They managed to survive the play-in tournament, but were quickly ushered out in five games by the defending champion Boston Celtics.

Injuries didn’t help. Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Moritz Wagner, and Jalen Suggs all missed significant time, leaving Orlando thin and inconsistent for much of the year. The result? A dominant defense—second-best in the league—dragged along a sputtering offense that finished dead last in three-point percentage and fourth-worst overall.

President of basketball operations Jeff Weltman isn’t blind to the problem.

“What we need is proven shot-making, proven offensive play,” Weltman said, via The Orlando Sentinel’s Jason Beede. “Clearly, we need to shoot the ball better. Those are the goals.”

Orlando added Kentavious Caldwell-Pope last summer in a savvy veteran pickup, but that alone won’t close the gap in a crowded Eastern Conference. With most of the roster already under contract and little financial flexibility, Weltman acknowledged the Magic will need to improve via the trade market, not free agency.

“Most of our roster upgrades are going to have to come more through swapping than just adding,” he said. “We’ve got an elite defensive backbone… and we have to be very cognizant of not unraveling the DNA of our team.”

In other words: don’t expect reckless moves. But do expect aggressive ones.

Orlando believes it’s ready to move from “developing” to “contending.” And now, the front office is on the clock to make that belief a reality, without sacrificing the grit that got them this far.