Indiana Pacers conference opponent offseason check-in: Orlando Magic

The Pacers and Magic are both trending up

Mar 10, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) handles the ball against Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) during the first quarter at KIA Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports / Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

The Indiana Pacers and Orlando Magic are far from rivals, yet the squads will be connected for the next few years. Both groups and young, ascending teams led by a rising star, and they have a strong identity on one end of the floor.

For the Pacers, it's Tyrese Haliburton leading one of the league's best offenses. That firepower guided Indiana to the Eastern Conference Finals, and they'll try to build off of that with a similar roster next season.

The Magic, meanwhile, are an elite defensive team, and their young star is Paolo Banchero. The 21-year old is an All-Star who uses his size to be lethal on both ends, and if his efficiency climbs, the Magic's offense should take off.

That's the next step for Indiana's foil. While the Pacers were second in offense and 24th in defense, the Magic were third on defense but 22nd on the offensive end. Orlando needs to find a way to score more effectively, and that's what they are trying to do with their offseason additions and predicted growth.

The Magic entered the summer in a rare spot — they had a good team that just won 47 games, but they also had a ton of cap space. That reality gave them room to use their imagination. They could add a veteran, take on a player in a trade, or do any number of savvy things.

Orlando opted to do a couple things with that space. In losing Markelle Fultz and Joe Ingles from last year's rotation, the Magic were able to have enough cap space to first sign free agent guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, a terrific fit. The two-time champion can really shoot it, and he's been a double-digit per game scorer for most of his career. He's also a terrific defensive player. He should add to what the Magic do on both ends without taking anything away — the dream with any free agent addition.

Caldwell-Pope can immediately start next to Jalen Suggs in the backcourt, forming one of the best defensive pairings in the NBA. Next to them will likely be Banchero, Franz Wagner — who signed a max contract extension this offseason and is an ascending young star — and Weldell Carter Jr. That group has length and speed and will be hard to score on. With KCP in the mix, they'll have better shooting and more spacing in general. They should hum.

President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman used the rest of his resources to keep the team together. Using a combination of Bird Rights, salary cap exceptions, and cap space, he signed Goga Bitadze, Gary Harris, former Pacer Trevelin Queen, and Moe Wagner to new contracts. Just like that, the Magic had the band back together with a major addition — and Weltman still had enough cap room to renegotiate and extend forward Jonathan Isaac's contract.

The Magic are now set up for several years of competing. What their ceiling is will be determined in the next few years, but the foundation is rock solid. They're young, talented, and have a clear identity. That's a great place to be as they exit a rebuild.

Indiana and Orlando finished with the same record this past season at 47-35. That was after they both entered the 2023 NBA Draft with a top-seven pick. It's remarkable how similar the two teams are from a timeline perspective, and they both will have similar goals this season — the Pacers and Magic will both hope to be a better team than last season while also looking for progress from their young talent so they can solidify their cores.

The two teams should become more intertwined over the years thanks to their similar timelines and structures. This year, for the first time in a while, they are both aiming for a playoff run.

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