Orlando carries $218.1M against a $200.4M luxury tax and a $209.0M first apron, with four contracts above $30M. All five of its biggest deals stay on the 2027-28 sheet, so any flexibility has to come from expiring money and a thin supply of picks.
The core is locked in and getting more expensive.
Franz Wagner earns $41.8M this season, Paolo Banchero $41.5M and Desmond Bane $39.4M. Next season those rise to $44.8M, $44.8M and $42.2M. Jalen Suggs is the only top deal that drops, from $32.4M to $29.6M, though a 37.2% true shooting mark over his last five games makes his number harder to defend right now. Wendell Carter Jr. goes from $18.1M to $19.6M. Orlando is paying for the development curve before the wins have arrived: 45-37 last season and 0-1 now.
The expiring money belongs to the injured and the veterans.
Jonathan Isaac ($10.4M), Anthony Black ($10.1M), Goga Bitadze ($7.6M), Jevon Carter ($2.4M) and Nikola Vucevic ($2.4M) are not on the 2027-28 sheet, and Jamal Cain's $2.6M is a team option. Isaac and Black are both out, each with an estimated return of October 25, which makes it harder to move either salary before they show they are healthy. Black is the bigger question. He is 22, he averaged 15.0 points last season, and he is the most movable mid-sized salary Orlando has.
Orlando has few picks left to offer.
The Magic own their 2027 first. Their 2028 first is owed to Portland, the 2029 first is protected and the 2030 first is owed to Memphis. In the second round, the 2028 pick goes to Charlotte, the 2029 pick is conditional to Memphis, and 2027 and 2030 are swaps. That leaves one unencumbered first to put in a deal, for a team whose apron position already limits how it can trade.
Cheap young contracts are the only real room on this roster.
Jason Beede reported that the Magic picked up their options on Tristan da Silva and Jase Richardson, which puts them at $6.1M and $3.3M next season. Noah Penda, out until an estimated November 18, makes $2.2M now and $2.5M next year. Contracts like these let Sean Sweeney play young players without adding cost. Da Silva makes the best case for it: 9.9 points on 37.4% from three last season, at a salary that barely moves the payroll.
Are the Orlando Magic over the luxury tax in 2026-27?
Yes. Orlando's payroll is $218.1M, above both the $200.4M luxury tax and the $209.0M first apron.
Which Magic contracts come off the books after this season?
Jonathan Isaac, Anthony Black, Goga Bitadze, Jevon Carter and Nikola Vucevic are not on the 2027-28 sheet, and Jamal Cain has a $2.6M team option. Wagner, Banchero, Bane, Suggs and Carter Jr. all remain under contract.
