The Athletic Grades Orlando Magic's Offseason Third-Best in NBA

Senior columnist David Aldridge of The Athletic has completed his 1-30 ranking of the best offseasons this summer throughout the NBA, in which the Magic placed third overall.

Apr 11, 2023; Orlando Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman speaks during a press conference for the new Orlando Magic G-League stadium at Osceola Heritage Park. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Building off the foundation of a young core's success without disrupting its trajectory is a tall task among NBA front offices.

In some cases, it works. Other times, the same sentiment can't be expressed.

But, to the likely delight of those in the offices at the Kia Center, the Orlando Magic are heavily regarded as the former following this summer.

External additions didn't come in terms of high quantity, but quality is a different story. Orlando, with a 3-year, $66 million deal, attracted sought-after veteran Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to the Magic this offseason. Guard Cory Joseph was the other addition – brought in on a two-year deal to serve as a veteran amongst a youthful backcourt group.

Where the Magic were the busiest, however, was in the business of bringing back core rotational pieces. Jonathan Isaac, an all-world defensive talent by any metric, resigned for 5-year, $84 million to stay with the Magic; the backup big man duo of Moritz Wagner and Goga Bitadze were treated to new deals as well – a 2-year, $22 million and 3-year, $25 million deal for each, respectively. Gary Harris is back on a 2-year, $15 million price tag too, likely in a backup two-guard role after KCP's addition.

Mo wasn't the only Wagner to see a new payday either, as his brother Franz signed a rich 5-year, $224 million rookie max extension ahead of his fourth season in the NBA.

With just two-way spots remaining (two of them), the Magic's offseason is likely over. As the league and commentators alike reflect upon the summer that was, The Athletic's David Aldridge, the long-respected columnist and contributor to the game, voiced his approval of the offseason in Orlando.

In his annual 1-30 ranking of the best offseasons around the NBA, Aldridge placed the Magic third, trialing just the OKC Thunder and Philadelphia 76ers.

"Orlando keeps adding pieces, and they all make sense and fit the ones that arrived before," Aldridge wrote. "The Magic have covered all the bases: drafting well, hiring and backing a great young coach in Jamahl Mosley, making smart trades and keeping their books clean until the team was good enough to attract a legit vet like KCP."

In Aldridge's list, the Magic checked in a spot above the New York Knicks and two above the Boston Celtics – two of the favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference.

Obviously, the ranking is completely arbitrary doesn't mean the ranking will translate to on-court success this upcoming year. Yet, for the Magic to find themselves in the conversation of contention, offseasons like this one are key to forwarding that trajectory.

Will it all pan out? Only time will tell, sure, but there will be a larger audience watching if the Magic do so.

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