The Orlando Magic just finished an impressive season. They came into the 2023-24 season with little to no expectations. Who would expect anything after a team that finished the prior season with a 34-48 record, which was 13th in the Eastern Conference. In a surprising twist, though, Orlando flipped the script, going to the playoffs with a 47-35 record.

Their season unfortunately ended in a Game 7 loss in the first round to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Still, the Magic have laid the groundwork for what will be a pretty eventful offseason for them. So much so that the Magic are reportedly pivoting from their previous offseason plans and pursing a different path, per Matt Moore of Action Network

“For two years, the Magic have pursued point guard upgrades in free agency and at the deadline. Fred VanVleet, Chris Paul and Kyle Lowry are among the guards Orlando has pursued and failed to obtain to boost its backcourt offensively. However, after the Magic's success in reaching the playoffs and a Game 7 with Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, two sources said this week that Orlando has pivoted slightly.”

What are the Magic going to do instead? Well, Moore first notes that the team won't be pursing point guards anymore in free agency. Jalen Suggs' All-Defense season gave the team belief in him as the starter there. Instead, Orlando will be looking to complement Suggs with a scoring-oriented guard. Klay Thompson has been mentioned this offseason, but Moore mentions other guards as a target.

“Second, there are expected to be more two-guards on the market. Bay Area insiders, like Tim Kawakami of The Athletic, have mentioned the Magic as a worst-kept secret suitor for Klay Thompson, and Hall-of-Fame reporter Marc Stein has said the same. With more scoring on the market, including Malik Monk and others, Orlando is expected to add a scoring two-guard.”

Magic's offseason targets

The Magic could use some more scoring at the guard position. Cole Anthony and Anthony Black have not provided that scoring quite yet. Suggs has improved on that end, but he's still a 12 PPG scorer in today's era. Scoring guards are usually not good defenders, but with Suggs as their backcourt partner, they can probably get away with it.

Thompson is a good target for the Magic in theory. He's one of the greatest shooters of all-time and has enough mojo on defense to still be solid there. That being said, Thompson was a little inconsistent for the Warriors last season. He started off ice-cold, recovered his form a bit in the middle of the season after being benched, and then struggled in the Play-In.

Other options for the Magic, if they are looking for a scoring guard, are D'Angelo Russell and the aforementioned Malik Monk. They are in a surprisingly good position for the next season outside the guard position. Paolo Banchero has been magnificent for them. Franz Wagner had a rough end to the playoffs, but he's still a great piece for a young team. The future is bright for Orlando. Now, they feel like they can cash in on their success last season and try to pursue a playoff spot.