The last few weeks have been an outright rollercoaster for the Orlando Magic. After losing the first Play-In game in underwhelming fashion to the Philadelphia 76ers, it looked like the franchise might be headed toward a full-fledged collapse.
However, after handily beating the Charlotte Hornets, they took a 3-1 lead against the Detroit Pistons, renewing hope.
But after losing three straight and being knocked out of the playoffs in the first round again, franchise icon Tracy McGrady believes major change is necessary.
Why Tracy McGrady Believes the Orlando Magic Must Overhaul Their Roster
After going up 3-1, the hope was that a Magic team that was finally healthy for the first time could put it all together. But misfortune struck when Franz Wagner, after suffering a calf injury in Game 4, was ruled out of the final three games.
Meanwhile, the Pistons, led by a 109-point three-game stretch from Cade Cunningham, stormed back to take the series. For Orlando, it became tough to even buy a basket.
That issue was never more prevalent than in Game 6. Leading by 24, they scored just 19 points in the second half in a historic meltdown. That ignited a Pistons comeback, as Detroit eventually advanced after a 4-3 series win.
Struggling from the field in the final two games, nobody could get anything going outside of Paolo Banchero. Putting up 45 points in Game 5, he was the single piece of resistance for the Magic in the final three games of the series.
Even as they were blown out 116-94, Banchero did his part, leading the team in points (38), rebounds (9), and assists (6). Apart from him, the team shot under 35% from the field and a tick over 26% from 3-point territory.
For McGrady, who spent four seasons with the Magic, making All-Star and All-NBA selections each year while also earning two scoring titles, the effort from the Magic roster was far from enough.
“What they have on their roster right now, what you see on their bench, they gotta go. I’m sorry. They ain’t good enough. They gotta go. They need to improve this roster if they wanna be a team in the east that’s gonna compete.”
T-Mac on the Magic:
“What they have on their roster right now, what you see on their bench they gotta go. I’m sorry. They ain’t good enough. They need to improve this roster if they wanna be a team in the east that’s gonna compete” pic.twitter.com/dLy0dGyvoT
— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) May 4, 2026
His frustration was understandable, as the loss may have hit a little too close to home. In 2002-03, the Magic faced the Pistons in the first round, going up 3-1 before they blew a similar lead. The next year, Orlando missed the playoffs outright, leading to McGrady being traded to the Houston Rockets.
Clearly frustrated by his former team, he continued, “Because New York’s not going nowhere, Boston is not going nowhere, Detroit ain’t going nowhere. So you gotta improve this roster. You have to improve this roster.”
The loss now starts an interesting offseason for the Magic. After their first Play-In loss, it seemed like Jamahl Mosley’s days as head coach in Orlando were already numbered, and it remains to be seen if the Magic follow through on that plan.
But a coaching change alone might not be enough to fix a franchise that has gone out in the first round in three consecutive seasons.
