The Magic’s roster barely underwent any offseason changes after the team finished eighth in the East and was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in 2025/26. However, Orlando does have a new head coach, and Magic players have been impressed by what they’ve seen so far from former Spurs assistant Sean Sweeney.

“When I was in Europe, (Sweeney) called me like every week, which I thought was awesome, just to chop it up really,” German forward Franz Wagner said at a youth basketball camp on Sunday, per Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required). “He had certain things he wanted to talk about. The first thing is, he’s very direct (with) communication. He’s very honest (and) says what he feels. It’s going to be a lot of changes from how we do things. All good stuff.

“So, I’m really excited to see what this new staff brings to the table. It’s going to be interesting how we react to it as a group. Obviously, we had the same coach for the last five years. It’s going to be some change and some adjustments for us, how we’re being coached, and that’s where growth comes in. So, I’m excited for that.”

At media day on Monday, forward Paolo Banchero said Sweeney called him shortly after being hired and that they had multiple long conversations throughout the offseason, with the new head coach also flying to Seattle to spend time with him (Twitter link via Beede).

According to forward Tristan Da Silva (Twitter link via Beede), Sweeney has met with each of Orlando’s players and has outlined the roles he expects them to play. Da Silva described the new head coach’s approach as extremely detailed, structured, and attentive.

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Magic forward Jonathan Isaac, whose 2025/26 season ended prematurely due to a left knee sprain, told reporters on Monday that he won’t be fully unrestricted at the start of training camp, per Beede (Twitter link). “We’re expecting to be fine,” Isaac said.
Fourth-year guard Anthony Black is eligible for a rookie scale extension until October 19, but he suggested on Monday that he’s not sure whether he and the cap-strapped Magic will reach an agreement by that deadline and isn’t stressing about it. “If it happens, it happens,” Black said, according to Beede (Twitter link).
After signing with the Magic on the buyout market in February and playing a regular role for the team down the stretch, Jevon Carter agreed to a new one-year, minimum-salary contract with Orlando early in free agency. On Monday, Carter referred to the decision as a “no-brainer,” per Beede (Twitter link), adding that he kept his house in the area in the hopes that he’d be able to re-sign with the club.
2026 second-round pick Izaiyah Nelson underwent surgery in July to address a fracture in his left ankle he sustained during the Las Vegas Summer League. Nelson said on Monday that he has resumed doing a little on-court work, though president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman suggested the rookie is “still probably a month or so” away from live play, tweets Beede.