Orlando Magic Make Surprise Leap In Latest NBA Power Rankings

The Orlando Magic’s strong offseason has been reinforced with the additions of Desmond Bane, Tyus Jones, Jase Richardson and Noah Penda. Expectations continue to rise as the Eastern Conference landscape shifts, with several powerhouse teams losing stars to season-ending injuries. The Magic have climbed in preseason power rankings, boosted by the anticipated system fit of Bane, whose shooting could drastically improve last season’s league-worst three-point percentage.

Bleacher Report’s updated power rankings moved the Magic to No. 9, one spot higher than their previous ranking, jumping the Golden State Warriors amid contract uncertainty with Jonathan Kuminga and the drama surrounding it.

"The Magic paid a small fortune (in NBA trade terms) to acquire Bane," the article wrote. "But he is exactly what the team needs to nudge a little closer to meaningful title contention.They already have a pair of budding stars at forward in Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero, but they have exactly one campaign between the two of them with an above-average true shooting percentage (Wagner's 2022-23). And the entire team was 30th in both threes per game and three-point percentage in 2024-25."

In addition to ranking last in three-point shooting percentage, the Magic also finished last in assists. Injuries played a major role, especially the early loss of Jalen Suggs, which removed a secondary playmaker from the starting lineup. That forced Banchero and Franz Wagner to shoulder more ball-handling duties, leading to frequent isolation plays and late shot-clock situations resulting in poor shots.

If the Magic can elevate their shooting to at least below average and improve ball movement to boost assists, competing for a championship becomes more realistic. Coach Jamahl Mosley’s defensive system is built to feast on struggling teams still trying to establish their offense.

"Bane brings a career 41.0 three-point percentage and an average of 21.1 points and 5.0 assists over the last three years with him to Orlando," the article added. "He'll loosen up the paint for Banchero and Wagner's drives, while also taking some playmaking responsibility off of both.That boost won't come at the expense of the Magic's defensive identity either. Assuming generally decent health, Orlando has a very real chance to finish in the top four of the East in 2025-26 and maybe even make a conference finals run."

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