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He stayed locked in on his tasks with the Spurs, even though the interview process started early in their postseason run. But with the finals over, Sweeney wasted little time in getting to Orlando and starting on the new job. “When we finally did get in front of him, it was a long day and he had a lot going on,” Magic President Jeff Weltman said. “It was during the playoffs and not only was he able to kind of compartmentalize his work with the Spurs and present well to us, but he really knocked our socks off. In Sean Sweeney, we have somebody who, in our minds, has the potential to be one of the elite coaches in this league.”
For now, though, let's say that the Bucks do stay at No. 10. We've already written about Milwaukee's interest in the top guards on the board … everyone from Darius Acuff Jr. to Keaton Wagler to Mikel Brown Jr. after flying down to Orlando to meet with Brown. I've since been told that a Milwaukee contingent including general manager Jon Horst and new head coach Taylor Jenkins also traveled to New York recently to visit with Nate Ament during this pre-draft process. Now the Bucks are being looked at by some rival teams as the absolute floor for the Tennessee forward. Sources say Ament has drawn interest as high as the Clippers at No. 5, Brooklyn at No. 6 and ranks as a strong contender to emerge as Dallas' ultimate pick at No. 9.
Tim Reynolds: Heat will play preseason game in Orlando on Oct. 16.
James Barlowe: Sources: The Brooklyn Nets and the Milwaukee Bucks have recently both visited Mikel Brown Jr in Orlando to watch workouts and meet with the family. Brown Jr is scheduled to visit the Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Clippers and Dallas Mavericks before the draft.
Tom Orsborn: Vassell on Sweeney getting Orlando job: "Definitely happy for him. The impact he's had here has been tremendous, challenging everybody to be better on defensive end, holding us to a certain standard. I wish him all the luck, but right now we're focused on him being here now."
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NBA insider Ramona Shelburne appeared on the "Rich Eisen Show" on Friday, suggesting that the Magic might be looking to make a trade for Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. "I would look at a team like Orlando," Shelburne said. "They're close, they're already making a move, they're going to get a new coach who has some good young pieces."
Chris Mannix: "When Jamahl Mosley became available, I was told that the Pelicans shifted their interest quickly and immediately to Jamahl Mosley. Jamahl has a history of taking over young developing teams and turning them into winners. His first year in Orlando, the Magic won 22 games, they won 47 two years later. Now, they were never really able to build on that to become the kind of sustainable contender that Orlando fans, the Orlando organization had hoped for."
Sources say Tom Thibodeau, to the contrary, is not involved in the Magic's interview process at this point. Yet it's well-established that Orlando wants to hire a coach with experience and sources tell both Marc Stein and me that Orlando has LA Clippers assistant coach Jeff Van Gundy on its radar as well. The defensive guru on Tyronn Lue's staff is the brother, of course, of former Magic coach Stan Van Gundy.
While I always hesitate to frame any potential hire as the favorite for a job, since NBA matters can be so fluid, coaching insiders across the league's landscape are very much operating under the belief that former Bulls coach Billy Donovan has an excellent shot at landing the post. Sources confirmed that Donovan is in dialogue with Magic president Jeff Weltman and will have an in-person meeting with Orlando's lead executive in the near future…Orlando has LA Clippers assistant coach Jeff Van Gundy on its radar as well. The defensive guru on Tyronn Lue's staff is the brother, of course, of former Magic coach Stan Van Gundy.
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Orlando and Memphis split this season's two Europe games in Berlin in London. Berlin and Paris are scheduled to serve as host cities for the two-game tour in 2028. The NBA, of course, continues to target the 2027-28 season as its launch date for a 12-to-16 team NBA Europe circuit that would be separate from #thisleague. Wemby and the Spurs played two games against Indiana in Paris in January 2025 on the NBA's last in-season visit to France.
Jamahl Mosley, who coached the Orlando Magic for five seasons before he was let go earlier this month, was captured using smelling salts before Orlando’s first Play-In Tournament game against the Philadelphia 76ers last month. “It heightens your awareness,” Mosley said in April. He added it was only his second time using them.
Roland Beech: The most important game of the playoffs so far? Perhaps Detroit-Orlando game 6... Detroit was down 24 in Orlando, facing elimination. What changed? 1st Half Physicality: Orlando +22 net wins 2nd Half Physicality: Detroit +45 net wins And the physicality engines were three Troy Weaver draft picks: Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson.
Omari Sankofa II: Harris on the team's play late: "Just staying composed. Everyone understands from the last round, we've been here before. Just staying relaxed. "I think we learned a lot from the Orlando series to take us through this one, and our entire group is embracing playoff basketball."