Magic fire Jamahl Mosley after five seasons, third straight first-round exit
ORLANDO, Fla. — When the Orlando Magic hired Jamahl Mosley in July 2021, the first-time NBA head coach was tasked with developing a young team, setting a new standard for the future of the organization and building an identity that featured a hard-nosed defensive mindset. Mosley did that and more when he helped the franchise rise from the ashes and return to national relevance under his watch.
Across the nine seasons before Mosley, Orlando reached the playoffs just twice and felt directionless at times before entering yet another rebuild in the post-Dwight Howard era. But after five years, three straight playoff appearances and a failure to advance past the first round, Mosley’s time in Orlando is done. The franchise announced Mosley's firing Monday morning after the eighth-seeded Magic fell to the top-seeded Pistons in a win-or-go-home Game 7 Sunday afternoon at Little Caesars Arena, a loss that marked the end to a disappointing season and Mosley’s tenure.
Orlando once led the first-round series 3-1 against Detroit and had its best chance of closing out the series at home in Game 6, but blew a 24-point lead at Kia Center. With momentum swung back their way, the Pistons won their first playoff series since 2008. The Magic still haven’t won a series since 2010 despite three trips to the playoffs under Mosley.
The 15th head coach in franchise history, Mosley went 189-221 in five regular seasons in Orlando. In early February, he moved past Doc Rivers (171) for third on the Magic all-time coaching wins list. This season, however, brought greater expectations than any of his previous four – not only inside the organization but nationally.
The Magic made a blockbuster deal and traded four first-round picks last summer to Memphis for Desmond Bane. The sharpshooter joined franchise faces Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs. The hope in acquiring Bane was that he’d offer the long-range shooting the Magic desperately needed to help space the floor of an offense that lacked creativity at times.
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