The Magic were linked to Billy Donovan during their search, but they've ultimately landed on one of the league's top assistants



The Orlando Magic are expected to hire San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Sean Sweeney to take over for Jamahl Mosley, per ESPN. Mosley was dismissed earlier this month after Orlando lost in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs to the Detroit Pistons, blowing a 3-1 lead in the process. Ex-Bulls coach Billy Donovan was also linked to the Orlando opening, but the Magic are going with Sweeney, who is currently on the Spurs' bench in the Western Conference Finals.

Sweeney has been a rising coach around the league and drew interest from the Chicago Bulls and Dallas Mavericks during this coaching cycle. He ultimately lands with the Magic, though, after several stops as an assistant, including time with the Nets, Bucks, Mavericks and as an associate head coach with the Spurs this season.

Before officially stepping into the new role with Orlando, Sweeney will first finish out the season with the Spurs, who are preparing for a Game 7 against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals on Saturday. His time with San Antonio could be extended a bit further if the Spurs manage to beat the Thunder and advance to the NBA Finals to face the New York Knicks.

Regardless of when he joins Orlando, this is a smart hire for the Magic, who are coming off a disappointing first-round loss to the Pistons. The Magic finally looked like the team everyone expected them to be through the first half of that series, but their weaknesses caught up to them as the Pistons staged a comeback to advance to the next round.

With Sweeney now installed as head coach, the Magic can look ahead to see what other changes need to be made before next season. Orlando hoped that this postseason would give them more insight into seeing if a Paolo Banchero-Franz Wagner pairing can still work. But Wagner missed the last three games of the series with an injury, leaving the question mark around this duo intact. Perhaps Sweeney can be the guy who unlocks the full potential of that duo, but beyond that it's obvious that the Magic are in need of a point guard to organize the offense. Though Sweeney likely won't be the one with the final say on roster decisions, he's worked with some of the best guards in the league over his coaching career and can certainly provide some insight into what the Magic need to fill that role.

Aside from roster changes, Sweeney's defensive acumen ensures that the Magic will remain amongst the best defensive teams in the league. Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama praised Sweeney after San Antonio's Game 1 win against the Thunder in the West Finals, so it's a safe bet to say Orlando is going to remain near the top of the league on that end of the floor.

The offense, though, is where the Magic have struggled. Some of that can be helped by adding more shooting depth, but Sweeney will have to revolutionize an offensive unit that looked predictable at best this season. Hiring Sweeney puts the Magic one step closer to becoming a more serious playoff contender next season. Now, they have to figure out where they can improve a roster that has some glaring weaknesses.

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