Jeff Weltman spoke to the Orlando media after completing a furry of moves that used up the cap space the Orlando Magic had created this offseason, likely their time with cap space for the foreseeable future.
He made a big addition, adding Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to the team’s starting lineup. But his other moves last summer coming off a playoff appearance and a surprising push to Game 7 against the Cleveland Cavaliers was to retain much of his roster.
The Magic gave Franz Wagner a max extension. They signed Jonathan Isaac to a unique renegotiate-and-extend deal. They signed Moe Wagner to a new deal. Re-upped with Goga Bitadze. Retained Gary Harris.
The roster looked the same.
Weltman has long preferred adding one or two players rather than massive roster upheavals. This summer, he explained that continuity only works when the team is winning. The team was winning and growing as intended, so there was no reason to shake the apple cart violently.
Things have changed this year. While the bet on continuity had advantages, the team’s flaws are now becoming more apparent.
For the first time since Weltman reset the team at the trade deadline in 2021, the Magic will not exceed expectations or improve their record.
At 24-27, the Magic are eighth in the Eastern Conference, far from the push for homecourt advantage they hoped to be fighting for this season. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner’s long-term injury – and now Jalen Suggs’ struggles with his low back strain and quad contusion – have laid bare this team is not good enough as is to reach the next level: true Eastern Conference contention.
As the trade deadline approaches Thursday at 3 p.m., everyone is turning toward Weltman to make a deal. For the first time, the answers are not through internal growth. And Weltman must do something he has not done with this team yet.
Weltman must add to this team through the trade market. He must break this team apart, even if it is still happening in small pieces. There is no more sitting on his hands.
Orlando’s offense and shooting have become impediments to growth. The team needs relief that it is not finding internally. The Magic must do something to salvage this season and prepare for the future, when they will contend for the Eastern Conference title.
Certainly, the whole project still depends on Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner becoming All-Star and All-NBA players. Much of the Magic’s struggles right now are from Banchero trying to work his way back into the fold after his injury.
Banchero has struggled mightily in the four weeks since he returned. And that has sunk the Magic’s offense as much as anything.
Nobody should be concerned with how he has struggled in the long term. He will use his offseason to get himself back to where he was at the start of the year. But it is a reality that his struggles have made the team’s losses feel much worse.
Orlando’s long-term project is still on good footing. One setback should not lead anyone to abandon the plan.
But what the Magic have is not helping them break through to their next level. It is not making the most of their two stars in Banchero and Wagner. They have started to find their limits.
Weltman aced the early part of the rebuild. He drafted two stars and put together a group of young players to help them win for the first time. He collected enough assets to be a player in the trade market.
The task now is to find players and build a roster that can break past those limits and raise the ceiling. The pressure is on Weltman to reshape, remake and expand this roster.
