NBA Offseason Guide 2022: Orlando Magic and their ongoing rebuild

There is no question that rebuilding in the NBA requires patience and a little luck.

For the Orlando Magic, the patience part will require an understanding that the sustainability of the roster they're building outweighs any shortcut to a return to the playoffs. Orlando's front office has realized that building a competitive roster for the foreseeable future will come via in-house development, the draft, shrewd trades and not excessive spending in free agency.

«We do need to develop these young guys,» President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman told the media before the season started. «We definitely want to move them forward. We want our team to grow and develop. The sooner the better. That said, we're not going to sacrifice the bright future that's in front of us for a sugar high, which I kind of felt like we had been doing previously.»

As the Magic enter Year Two of their roster transformation, here is a look at all the big decisions that await this offseason, starting with the state of the roster.

MORE: Magic rank 27th in Future Power Rankings

Roster status: Rebuilding (Year Two)

Orlando's 26-77 record since the 2021 trade deadline should not be a sign of discouragement.

The Magic knew that there would be growing pains this season with a roster that featured seven players on rookie contracts (second-youngest team in the NBA) and two of their more established players, Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac on the sidelines rehabbing from a prior injury. Fultz eventually returned in March but was on a minutes restriction and Isaac missed the entire season rehabbing his knee injury from 2020.

The goals this season were not about wins and losses, but each player improving from the start of the season and not developing