Magic HC Jamahl Mosley Agrees to 4-Year Contract Extension

The Orlando Magic agreed to a four-year extension with head coach Jamahl Mosley as he has put the franchise on a path to make the NBA playoffs.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski first reported the deal.

"Jamahl and his staff have done a tremendous job not only this season, but since we hired him back in 2021," president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said. "His preparation, work ethic, ability to connect with the players, and passion he brings to the job every day brings positive results, both on the court and off. We are very happy to have Jamahl lead the Magic for years to come."

The Magic sit fifth in the Eastern Conference at 37-28, their .569 winning percentage on track to be their best since 2010-11.

Defense has been Orlando's hallmark this year. The team is fifth in defensive rating (112.6), per NBA.com, and fourth in steals (8.1 per game).

"Coach Mos, I give him credit, he came in from training camp saying he wanted to be a No. 1-caliber defensive team in the league," Paolo Banchero told Andscape's Marc J. Spears in November. "That is what we have been so far. Give huge credit to the coaches for instilling that in us and the players for executing it."

The Magic were largely listless after trading Dwight Howard to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2012. They went six straight years without making the postseason, and playoff trips in 2019 and 2020 yielded two combined victories in back-to-back first-round exits.

When Mosley came aboard, Orlando had already hit the reset button yet again by trading away Aaron Gordon, Nikola Vučević and Evan Fournier. The 45-year-old has helped to oversee a steady turnaround, one powered by homegrown talent and younger players who have developed under his guidance.

Banchero and Franz Wagner are both averaging 20-plus points per game. Wendell Carter Jr. emerged as a good stretch big, filling the void Vučević left in the frontcourt. Cole Anthony's three-year, $39.1 million extension is evidence of how well he has slotted into a sixth man role.

Mosley's impact is indisputable and he was more than deserving of a new contract, and the Magic's prolonged futility before his arrival meant they couldn't take anything for granted regarding his future.