No more training camp.
No more preseason.
No more speculation.
Just basketball.
Welcome to opening week of the NBA‘s 80th season and the 37th year of the Magic, who start the 2025-26 campaign against the Miami Heat at Kia Center on Wednesday night.
Expectations for Orlando haven’t been higher in more than a decade following an offseason filled with changes, ranging from major player acquisitions to a complete rebrand and much more in between.
For Jamahl Mosley’s squad, they wouldn’t have it any other way.
“We’re super prepared,” Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. said Monday. “If you’re not prepared, you’re out of luck. From my perspective, we look good. … I’m just super excited to finally getting it going.”
Added second-year forward Tristan da Silva: “We feel really good. We did a good job during the preseason taking care of business and that’s the same energy we’re trying to carry into opening night and then throughout the rest of the season.”
Taking care of business is what Orlando’s front office did this summer.
Even before Oklahoma City wrapped up capturing its first championship, the Magic were off to the races when they traded for Desmond Bane in an early June blockbuster to help mitigate their long-term long-range problems. Orlando later signed veteran guard Tyus Jones — a name that had been tied to the franchise for years — and drafted rookies Jase Richardson and Noah Penda.
Pushing the pace is the goal on offense for the Magic and the additions of Bane and Jones, on paper, should help. They’re a large reason why there’s extra buzz in Orlando and around the country for the team.
“They’ve come at a perfect time,” Magic guard Jalen Suggs said about his new teammates recently in the locker room. “[They have come] at the point where everybody in the building has taken a leap maturity-wise, taken a leap in terms of [being] really focused on winning, intentionally. You can want to win. Everybody always wants to win.
“But to intentionally do that from top to bottom is different,” he added. “It’s something that this building hasn’t felt since I’ve been here.”
Other offseason moves included the Magic unveiling new uniforms, new logos and new courts, the addition of widely-respected offensive-minded assistant coaches Joe Prunty and God Shammgod, a leadership change from CEO Alex Martins to new president of business operations Charlie Freeman paired with further infusion of the DeVos family, the installation of a new Jumbotron at Kia Center and the changing of the guard behind the microphone for the public-address announcer in the arena.
Ultimately, however, success for the Magic rides on the backs of stars Suggs, Bane, Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, as well as Mosley himself.
After the Magic won their first 10 home games last year (they were the last team to lose a home game in the NBA), the team went 12-19 at Kia Center to end 22-19 for the season that was plagued by injuries to Banchero, Wagner and Suggs. If health can be on their side, they believe they can build something special.
“We have so much potential,” said Jonathan Isaac, the longest-tenured member of the Magic. “We’ve got guys that can really play basketball and the more that they get an opportunity to jell, mesh and play together, the sky’s the limit. Everybody’s excited.”
That excitement flows over into the Magic fanbase, which is craving for a deep playoff run. The franchise hasn’t advanced past the first round of the postseason since 2010.
It’s almost fitting Orlando opens the regular season against its rival Miami, who could only watch the Magic win back-to-back Southeast Division titles for the first time since 2008-10.
Orlando is 21-15 all-time on opening night and the Magic have won 16 of their last 25 openers. Last season, the Magic defeated the Heat in Miami, 116-97, in October 2024.
Even the top three opening night scoring performances in Magic history have all come against the Heat, including Banchero’s 33 points last year (third-most behind only Nick Anderson’s 42 scored Nov. 6, 1992 vs. Miami and Shaquille O’Neal’s 42 notched Nov. 5, 1993 at Miami).
“I know there’s a lot of anticipation leading up to this opening game,” Carter said.
Because of that, the Magic are encouraging fans to arrive early to Kia Center for a commemorative T-shirt giveaway, a full-team introduction sequence to tip off the season in style and other opening night highlights.
And once the season does tip off, it doesn’t slow down.
Orlando, out of the gate, plays three games in four days when it hosts the Heat on Wednesday, the Hawks on Friday and the Bulls 24 hours later before a 5-game road trip the following week.
“Once we get this under our belt, it’s a long road ahead for us,” Carter said.
While the opportunity is there for the Magic to open the season on a high note, they know what’s in front of them. They know they want to play further into April and May than of recent past — with June on their minds.
But Orlando, perhaps wiser beyond its years despite entering as the fourth youngest team in the league, will take on the challenge as best they know how: One game at a time.
“The beginning of the season is not where you peak and that’s not where we want to peak,” Isaac said. “We’ve got a lot of room to grow.
“We’re ready, of course, to start the season and start off great, but we’ll get better and better as the season goes on.”
Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com
Up next …
Magic vs. Heat
When: 7, Kia Center
TV: FanDuel Sports Network Florida