These 4 Magic players won't be back next season after playoff upset bid falls short

History repeated itself in the worst way possible for the Orlando Magic this past weekend. Just as was the case in 2003, the eighth-seed Magic held a 3-1 lead over the number one seed Detroit Pistons — only to lose three straight games and be sent home from the playoffs.

Now, the Magic face a lengthy offseason filled with questions about what they can do to finally make it past the first round. We already know that they will be getting a new coach, but that will not fix everything. They also need to revamp their roster to turn into a more cohesive offense. What will those changes look like?

To preview some of this flux, we look at four players who may not be back next season.

4. Jett Howard

It seems like it is time to say that the Magic missed the target on their decision to draft Jett Howard with the 11th overall pick in the 2023 Draft. Through three years, Howard has yet to grade out higher than the 41st percentile in Estimated Plus-Minus (per Dunks & Threes), and his defense is so harmful that Orlando (a team that could desperately use his shooting, 37.2% from three this year) won't even give him meaningful minutes in the postseason.

The Magic already decided not to pick up Howard's team option for 2026-27, and given that they didn't even bother to play him against the Pistons, it seems pretty obvious that he is not apart of their long-term plans.

3. Jevon Carter

Like Howard, Jevon Carter is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. He had some moments in the regular season when the Magic were dealing with injuries (appearing in 30 games). But when Orlando had Jalen Suggs and Anthony Black fully available in the playoffs, Carter played just 17 minutes across three games.

By all accounts, Carter is a solid locker room presence who can eat up some regular season minutes in a pinch. But given his offensive limitations (34th percentile in OFF EPM) and the need to find some more minutes for 2025 first round pick Jase Richardson, it doesn't make much sense for Orlando to use a roster spot on him.

2. Paolo Banchero

After signing a max rookie extension last offseason, Paolo Banchero did not take the leap the Magic were hoping for when they emptied out the cupboards to get Desmond Bane to flank him. He had some moments of growth (his decision-making was very measured in the first four games against the Pistons), but his limitations are still really bogging this group down. His poor shot selection and inability to consistently touch paint were on full display in Game 6 when he scored 17 points on an abysmal 4-for-20 shooting from the floor.

If you had any questions about which member of the Banchero/Franz Wagner tandem was driving wins, the answer should now be clear after watching them completely fall apart after Wagner missed the final three games of the series.

Just as a reminder: here are the Banchero/Wagner on-off splits for the last three years. When the two share the floor together, the Magic have a net rating of +2.5 per 100 possessions. When Wagner is on the floor without Banchero, that number balloons up to +8.4 per 100. And when the rolls are reversed (Banchero on, Wagner off), Orlando is being outscored by 2.5 points per 100.

We know that the duo needs to be split. But are the Magic willing to part ways with the former first overall pick? And if so, will there be any suitors?

1. Moritz Wagner

The three-man center trio of Wendell Carter Jr., Goga Bitadze, and Moritz Wagner has been solid. But that's all they have been. What I mean is that, while they perform their duties admirably, none of them are "fixing" any of the things that plague the Magic (ball handling and shooting).

Wagner is set to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason. So, if they are going to break up this trio, letting him walk would be the easiest way to do it. Hopefully, this doesn't upset his younger brother too much.

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