SG: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, No. 22

2023-24 (76 games): 10.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.3 steals per game. 46.0 FG%, 40.6 3PT%.

Arriving by way of free agent signing this summer from Denver, the Magic’s new 3-year, $66-million man is already being lauded as one of the best moves of the summer. Just ask Wendell Carter Jr.

That’s because the NBA’s second-best defense struggled to score the ball again last year, and KCP’s addition should aid Orlando’s efforts to put the ball in the basket while maintaining such a staunch defensive identity. Caldwell-Pope was the right combination of veteran experience, floor spacing and defensive perimeter prowess that Orlando sought out, and is an upgrade over Gary Harris at the starting two-spot.

The players immediately around him:

No. 20: Klay Thompson
No. 21: Jordan Clarkson
No. 22: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
No. 23: Jordan Poole
No. 24: Jaden Ivey

The full list.

SF: Franz Wagner, No. 10

2023-24 (72 games): 19.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.4 blocks per game. 48.2 FG%, 28.1 3PT%.

Wagner is the Magic’s solidified No. 2 option alongside Paolo Banchero (who we’ll get to in a moment), but there’s no mistaking the question about his game: Can he figure out his three-point shot?

Shooting a dismal 28.2% from deep last year was a steep drop-off from his first two seasons, and forced some to question whether he’ll be worth the 5-year max rookie scale extension the Magic awarded him over the summer. But as a two-way rising star with plenty of positional size, he fits exactly what Orlando desires from its best players – even with the shoddy three-point accuracy, although they’d surely appreciate an uptick and return to form in that area.

The Magic believe in the forward trajectory of its young core, and Wagner is inarguably one of the key members of it. Thus, the contract is a vote of confidence that the best of Wagner is still yet to come. Even so, what he’s shown thus far lands him a top-10 spot in this year’s rankings.

The five players immediately around him:

No.8: Demar DeRozan
No. 9: Brandon Ingram
No. 10: Franz Wagner
No. 11: Mikal Bridges
No. 12: OG Anunoby

The full list,

PF: Paolo Banchero, No. 3

2023-24 (80 games): 22.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.6 blocks per game. 45.5 FG%, 33.9 3PT%.

The Magic’s No. 1 overall pick in 2022 came in with lofty expectations as the face of Orlando’s franchise going forward. Since then, he’s done nothing but deliver as he enters his third season in the NBA.

The 6-10, 250-pound versatile forward is one of the game’s brightest young stars who shined in his postseason debut last year, and is on the cusp of budding superstardom and potential All-NBA consideration in year three. He does it all – scores, playmakes, defends and is available nearly every single night.

His positioning this high in the rankings has the potential to be even higher as he accelerates toward his ceiling, A big season for Orlando as a whole certainly starts with another fantastic year from Banchero.

The five players immediately around him:

No. 1: Giannis Antetokounmpo
No. 2 Zion Williamson
No. 3: Paolo Banchero
No. 4: Pascal Siakam
No. 5: Karl-Anthony Towns

The full list.

C: Wendell Carter Jr., No. 29

2023-24 (55 games): 11.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.6 steals, 0.5 blocks per game. 52.5 FG%, 37.4 3PT%.

Carter Jr. heads into the 2024-25 season on the fringe of the top 30, a season in which he hopes to be his most productive – and healthiest – yet.

Entering his seventh season, he’s still just 25 years old. He’s a solid center with experience and a nice offensive game, but there are questions of whether there’s still more of his game to develop or if his best has already been laid out before us. Alongside Goga Bitadze and Moritz Wagner, the former Duke Blue Devil enters his fourth complete season with the Magic as the starting five and a key member of Orlando’s frontcourt rotation.

The five players immediately around him:

No. 26: Ivica Zubac
No. 27: Jalen Duren
No. 28: Al Horford
No. 29: Wendell Carter Jr.
No. 30: Steven Adams

The full list.