Paolo Banchero

Magic Notes: Bane, Banchero, F. Wagner, Black, Howard

October 8th, 2025 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Magic took a major gamble by trading for Desmond Bane, but Paolo Banchero believes the high-scoring guard is exactly what Orlando needs to be a serious contender in the East, writes Marc J. Spears of Andscape. The team sent a lot of assets to Memphis in return, parting with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, four unprotected first-round picks and a first-round swap. Banchero has no doubt that Bane will be worth the high price.

“It’s a great fit for who we are as a team,” he said. “He adds what we’re missing, and he also adds to what we already have. It’s like the perfect match. We don’t have anybody who can make shots like him, who can kind of leverage the way he is able to make shots, then make plays for others and get downhill and create. He’s a Swiss Army knife just as a player, as a guard. He is stronger than 99 percent of the guards in the league with how he’s built. He’s going to fit into what we do.”

Bane tells Spears that he received a Father’s Day text from Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman, along with a request to talk right away. Kleiman followed up by FaceTiming him to break the news of the trade. Even though Bane was caught by surprise after spending his first five NBA seasons in Memphis, he insists there’s “no bad blood at all” and he’s happy to be in a good situation in Orlando. He also regrets that the Grizzlies weren’t able to make a long playoff run while the foundation of the team was together.

“I feel like we never really got a chance to see what it would be like for a full season with our core and everybody healthy,” Bane said. “But you can only wait so long. In this business, you only got so many years to make something happen.”

There’s more from Orlando:

Jamahl Mosely had Jalen Suggs and Moritz Wagner serve as coaches during Wednesday’s scrimmage, per Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Suggs is still recovering from a left knee trochlea cartilage tear that ended his season in January, while Wagner is rehabbing a torn ACL in his left knee. Since they couldn’t participate in the scrimmage, Mosely decided to give them a different perspective. “It’s huge because it talks about communicating,” he said. “It keeps communication as the high priority. You’ve got to be able to communicate with your teammates the things that you see, what you want, the standard that we’ve set. I’ve said this before but it’s easy for coaches to say things, to put things on boards, to watch it on film … It becomes real when these guys can repeat it back to you and they can repeat the message of what they’re calling themselves to do.”
Franz Wagner sat out the first preseason contest after an active summer at EuroBasket, but he’s hoping to get back on the court in at least one of the next three games, Beede adds. “Yeah, I definitely want to play, get out there with the guys and get a couple minutes,” Wagner said. “Not that much time before the first real game.”
In a separate story, Beede examines the importance of this season for Anthony Black and Jett Howard, who will both become eligible for rookie scale extensions next summer.

Magic Notes: Richardson, Banchero, Bane, Wagner

October 5th, 2025 at 9:01pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Magic played their preseason opener on Saturday, picking up a 126-118 win over the Heat. While preseason action can only tell you so much, Orlando was able to get some valuable information on some of their new guys, as well as seeing their roster mainstays in action.

One of the standouts of the game was rookie guard Jase Richardson, writes Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel (subscriber link).

The 25th pick in the 2025 draft, Richardson came out of the gate cold and later admitted to feeling the nerves in his first real NBA action, but he quickly settled into the rhythm of the game. He finished with a team-high 13 points on 5-of-11 shooting, including 3-of-3 from three, along with four rebounds, two assists, and a steal.

“There’s just a level of confidence that he possesses reading the game, recognizing what guys are doing and how they’re playing him,” said head coach Jamahl Mosley. “His speed is such a big advantage for him, but then the other side of it is we talked all the time about how inquisitive he is and how he wants to know what to do in any situation.”

While the backup point guard spot will likely be primarily manned by Tyus Jones once Jalen Suggs recovers from injury, Richardson’s ability to function as an on- or off-ball player could help him carve out a role sooner rather than later if he’s able to maintain his aggression and shooting efficiency.

We have more from the Magic:

Paolo Banchero is known as an offensive star, but his biggest impact against the Heat came on the defensive end. Beede writes that it wasn’t simply the three blocks in 13 minutes that were encouraging, but also the manner in which they came: one in isolation, another as a weak side rotation, and finally a chase-down block in transition. “That’s what it’s going to take for us to win at the highest level,” Mosely said. “If he plays with that energy and effort each and every single night defensively, it’s going to be a long night for a lot of people.”
The trade to acquire sharp-shooting guard Desmond Bane was clearly made to bring more shooting to the Magic’s offense, which has struggled with efficiency in recent years. In his first action with the team, Bane provided more than floor spacing, according to Beede, who says Orlando’s new wing also helped push the pace in transition and opened up looks for teammates with his ability to catch and attack with the ball. Beede adds that the chemistry between former teammates Bane and Jones was immediately noticeable. Given his gravity as a shooter, that ability should help generate offense for a team that, at times, got bogged down in mid-range-heavy isolation play last season.
Franz Wagner, Banchero’s co-star, missed the preseason opener, but according to Beede, this wasn’t due to an injury, but rather was an assigned rest following his run to the gold medal with Germany at EuroBasket.

Magic Notes: Suggs, M. Wagner, Bane, Isaac, Jones, Banchero

September 30th, 2025 at 3:03pm CST by Luke Adams

As Magic guard Jalen Suggs continues to make his way back from a left knee trochlea cartilage tear that has sidelined him since January, the team is targeting opening night for his return, president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said on Monday, according to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required).

Suggs had originally hoped to be back to 100% for the start of training camp, but now the plan will be to use camp and the preseason as a ramp-up period. As Beede writes, the goal will be to get him on the court in one of Orlando’s four preseason games before the regular season tips off.

Moritz Wagner, the Magic big man who is coming off a left ACL tear, isn’t quite as far along as Suggs, Weltman acknowledged on Monday.

“Moe’s timeline is different,” Weltman said. “He’s further away. You guys know there have been unfortunately a series of ACLs in the last decade of the NBA and an associated timeline with that. But you guys also know Moe Wagner. So, he’s not your normal guy. He’s attacking it. and we’re hopeful he can beat that timeline. What that looks like exactly is too soon to say.”

Wagner said he has gotten through the injury rehab portion of his recovery process and is now working on getting back into game shape, according to Beede. At the team’s first practice on Tuesday, Suggs was able to take part in “all of the non-contact drills,” per head coach Jamahl Mosley, while Wagner did many of the same drills but was “probably two steps back” of Suggs in terms of progress (Twitter links).

Here’s more on the Magic:

Adjusting to a new team after spending the first five years of his NBA career in Memphis has been “pretty easy” so far, Desmond Bane said on Tuesday (Twitter video link via Beede). “They’re such good guys that they make it easy to come in here and get our work done so it’s been good,” Bane said of his new teammates.
After appearing in just 11 games across three seasons from 2020-23, Magic forward Jonathan Isaac played in 58 in 2023/24 and 71 last season. Will that number continue to rise in 2025/26? “My goal this season is 82,” Isaac said at media day, noting that he dropped some weight in the offseason (Twitter link via Beede). “If nothing happens, if I don’t get any colds or sicknesses or anything like that, I should be fine to go 82.”
Speaking to reporters on Monday, including Beede (Twitter link), veteran point guard Tyus Jones said the chance to potentially compete for a championship was an important factor in his decision to sign with Orlando.
Star Magic forward Paolo Banchero, who signed a five-year, maximum-salary rookie scale extension in July, said it was an “amazing feeling” to lock in that deal and expressed enthusiasm about the moves the front office made to upgrade the roster over the summer. “I’m definitely happy with the moves the organization made,” Banchero said (subscriber-only story via Beede). “[They] brought in two great, experienced players (Bane and Jones) in here and drafted two great rookies (Jase Richardson and Noah Penda). So, [I’m] just excited to get to work with the group and get on the court and start building that chemistry.”

Magic Notes: Banchero, Suggs, Richardson, Two-Way

September 28th, 2025 at 7:02pm CST by Eli Cohen

Paolo Banchero knows that expectations for the Magic have risen dramatically this offseason, and he’s ready to embrace the challenge of meeting them, writes Josh Robbins for The Athletic (subscriber link).

“I think, just as a competitor, as a winner, as a player, you want to be expected to be great,” Banchero said.

Robbins writes that Banchero was stunned by the Magic’s trade for Desmond Bane, which sent Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, and four first-round picks to the Grizzlies, but quickly grew excited about the prospect of teaming up with the sweet-shooting guard.

“I felt like there were some guys that were kind of up on the list of who we would maybe trade for, at least in my head, and Desmond Bane was not one of them,” Banchero said. “So when I heard that one, I was like, ‘Desmond Bane!’ I was like, ‘S–t, he’s a hell of a player.'”

Banchero spoke about the impact that Bane, as well as Tyus Jones, who signed with the team on a one-year deal, should have this year.

“I think it’s going to do a lot of great things, not only on the court but off the court, just with the way they are as people and how they’re able to kind of control a room,” he said. “They talk with so much experience that you listen to them. Both of them offensively are just really experienced players, and they just know how to play. They have great feels for the game, feels for the court, when to make plays, when to shoot, when to drive.”

We have more from the Magic:

Jalen Suggs is working hard to get back from the arthroscopic knee surgery that ended his season in March, but his updates remain cryptic, writes Jason Beede for the Orlando Sentinel. “This is definitely the hardest summer that I’ve had so far,” he said last week in a podcast appearance. “The knee is coming along but I’m just really getting to work on minute muscles and really detailed parts about my body that just have been overlooked up to this point. So it’s been great. Camp and the return will come in time, in [God’s] time, but our process is really working and I love the spot that we’re in right now.” Beede notes that a more concrete update on his timeline, as well as that of Moritz Wagner, who is recovering from an ACL tear, should come tomorrow.
In the same article, Beede writes that the Magic’s bench will look dramatically different with the departures of Anthony, Gary Harris, Cory Joseph, and Caleb Houstan, but adds that internal development for Anthony Black, Jett Howard, and Tristan Da Silva should help boost the unit around Jones’ floor generalship. Beede also suggests that, given head coach Jamahl Mosley‘s preference to keep his rotations intact, if Suggs misses the start of the season, it could open a pathway for rookie Jase Richardson to start. While Black and Jones are capable of stepping up, Beede observes that in the past, Mosley has often looked to the third-string players in such situations.
The Magic currently have Jamal Cain and Orlando Robinson on two-way contracts, with plenty of options for the third slot. Among the most likely candidates, Beede lists Reece Beekman, Colin Castleton, Justin Minaya, Lester Quinones, and Alex Morales, all of whom are currently on Exhibit 10 deals with the team. Beede notes that Castleton and Morales both have experience with the franchise, as both spent time with the G League affiliate in Osceola — Morales for three seasons and Castleton for part of last year.

And-Ones: Award Predictions, Top Forwards, Free Agency, Cui

August 26th, 2025 at 7:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Will Nikola Jokic win a fourth Most Valuable Player award in 2025/26? He’s the top choice among a panel of ESPN Insiders to capture the league’s top individual honor next season. Luka Doncic ranks as the second pick, with reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander getting the third-most votes.

The panel also offers their predictions on five other major awards, including Rookie of the Year (no surprise, they picked No. 1 draft choice Cooper Flagg) and Sixth Man of the Year (Alex Caruso and Naz Reid received the most votes}.

We have more from around the international basketball world:

Who’s the top forward in the NBA? Giannis Antetokounmpo is in a class of his own, according to The Athletic’s Zach Harper. The Bucks superstar holds the tier-one level all by himself in “The Bounce’s Top 40 Forwards.” Jayson Tatum, Paolo Banchero and Zion Williamson are in the tier-two “Still Elite, Just Not Giannis” level. Heading up the group of six players who round out the top 10 and start the tier-three level is Draymond Green.
Free agency isn’t what it used to be in the NBA, with most star players signing extensions before they ever reach that point. HoopsHype’s Alberto De Roa examines the decline in free agency’s importance, noting that only one player this summer who changed teams — new Bucks center Myles Turner — secured a contract with at least $100MM in guaranteed money.
Cui Yongxi – also known as Jacky Cui – is working toward an NBA comeback after tearing his ACL in December with the G League’s Long Island Nets, Brian Lewis of the New York Post tweets. He has been working out in Brooklyn and is now participating in 5-on-5 scrimmages in Los Angeles. The 22-year-old free agent guard had been on a two-way contract and appeared in five games with the Nets but was waived by Brooklyn in December following the injury.

Magic Sign Paolo Banchero To Five-Year Max Extension

July 7th, 2025 at 7:04pm CST by Dana Gauruder

7:04 pm: Banchero’s five-year, maximum-salary extension is official, the Magic announced in a press release (Twitter link).

“We are thrilled to keep Paolo in a Magic uniform for years to come,” Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said in a statement. “At just 22, he has won NBA Rookie of the Year, been named an NBA All-Star and is widely regarded as one of our league’s brightest young stars.

“This commitment reflects our belief in Paolo’s talent, character and desire to win at the highest level. It also reflects Paolo’s belief in our organization, our fans and the city of Orlando. We are excited to continue this journey together.”

5:31 pm: Magic star forward Paolo Banchero has agreed to a five-year maximum rookie scale contract extension that be worth as much as $288MM, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets.

The contract will include a player option in the final year, the first time that’s happened in a rookie scale maximum-salary extension since 2021, when Luka Doncic and Trae Young each received one.

As cap expert Yossi Gozlan points out (Twitter link), the extension is technically worth a projected $240MM but it could rise another $48MM if Banchero meets the Rose Rule performance criteria, which includes making an All-NBA team or winning the Most Valuable Player Award.

The salary projections are based on a 7% cap increase for 2026/27.

Banchero will now be signed through at least 2030, with a ’30/31 player option. The five-year extensions for Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs kick in this coming season and recently acquired Desmond Bane has a contract that runs through the 2028/29 season. That means that four members of the starting lineup are signed for at least the next four seasons.

Orlando’s decision to make Banchero the top pick of 2022 draft was somewhat surprising at the time, but he has lived up to that billing. He was the Rookie of the Year in 2023 and an All-Star in 2024.

An early-season oblique injury marred Banchero’s third NBA season, but he still averaged 25.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game in 46 starts. The 22-year-old has averaged 28 points per game in 12 postseason contests over the past two seasons.

Back in May, Banchero told Marc J. Spears of ESPN he wasn’t sure if he’d sign an extension but was hopeful it would come to fruition.

“I was in over my head when I signed my rookie (contract). So, I really haven’t thought much about that. … But it’s a blessing and hopefully all that stuff works out if I’m able to sign with the team and lock in my future,” he said. “That’s every young player’s goal coming into this league, establishing yourself early, get a second contract. So, when (the) time comes, I’m sure all that stuff we can figure out. I don’t know. They say more money, more problems. So, we’ll see what happens.”

And-Ones: Cook, Sirvydis, 2022 Redraft, Gasol

June 2nd, 2025 at 9:54pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Former NBA forward Tyler Cook is signing with a Japanese team, Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com reports. He’ll be joining the Ibaraki Robots.

Cook averaged 15.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.5 assists on 63.6% shooting in the Turkish league with Merkezefendi this past season. He played 65 games in the NBA, most recently with Chicago in 2021/22.

Here’s more from the international basketball world:

Another former NBA forward, Deividas Sirvydis, is re-signing with Lithuania’s Zalgiris Kaunas on a contract that runs through the 2027/28 season, according to a team press release. In his debut EuroLeague season, Sirvydis averaged 8.4 points and 2.6 rebounds per game, shooting 51.5% from two-point range and 38.8% from three-point range. Sirvydis, a 2019 second-round pick, made 23 appearances with Detroit.
If they had to do it all over again, Paolo Banchero would still be the No. 1 pick of the 2022 draft. HoopsHype’s Frank Urbina conducted a 2022 re-draft and there was one big move up the draft ladder — Urbina suggests Jalen Williams would be the No. 2 pick instead of the No. 12 selection, while Dyson Daniels would also move into the top five.
Speaking to Eurohoops, former NBA All-Star Pau Gasol wouldn’t go as far as saying the current group of European stars are better than his era’s top imports. Rather, he looks at it as each generation grows the legacy of European players before them.

Eastern Notes: Banchero, Magic, Pistons, Bulls, J. Holiday

May 22nd, 2025 at 11:12pm CST by Rory Maher

Forward Paolo Banchero, who will be eligible for a rookie scale extension this summer, is optimistic the Magic can capitalize on the NBA’s parity, according to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. After Boston was eliminated in the second round, the league will crown its seventh champion in as many years, the first time that has ever occurred.

“You don’t know how excited I am just seeing all of these new teams in the conference finals,” Banchero said. “Definitely going to have a new champion this year and so, it just excites you because that could be us.

“Obviously it’s not going to be easy and it takes a lot of things to go right, but seeing all of these teams get there, all these young players lead their teams … It definitely gets me excited.”

Here’s more from the East:

Orlando isn’t the only Eastern Conference team optimistic about its future. The Pistons also believe they can become a contender sooner rather than later after a remarkable turnaround in 2024/25, per Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. Detroit won a league-worst 14 games in ’23/24, but made the playoffs outright as the No. 6 seed after winning 44 games this season. The Pistons also had a highly competitive first-round series with New York, which is now in the conference final.
Keith Smith of Spotrac previews the Bulls‘ offseason. While Josh Giddey‘s restricted free agency is perhaps the most pressing issue that needs to be addressed, Chicago also has several players eligible for veteran extensions. Smith views Ayo Dosunmu as the most likely to ink a new deal of the extension-eligible players.
Celtics guard Jrue Holiday has come up multiple times in recent trade rumors, though one report stated Boston might have a difficult time moving him due to the $104MM he’s owed over the next three years. With that in mind, Brian Robb of MassLive explores seven hypothetical Holiday trades. According to Robb, the Mavericks could be a good fit if they like Holiday. His fake proposal has Holiday and unspecified draft capital heading to Dallas for Daniel Gafford, Caleb Martin, Jaden Hardy and Olivier-Maxence Prosper.

And-Ones: Wright, Rookie Extensions, All-Interview Team, More

May 10th, 2025 at 3:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Former Colorado guard McKinley Wright IV, who appeared in 32 NBA regular season games for Minnesota and Dallas from 2021-23, has been named the Most Valuable Player for the ABA League (formerly known as the Adriatic League) in Europe.

Wright has spent the last two seasons playing for KK Buducnost and led the Montenegrin team to a 26-4 record and a No. 1 seed in ABA competition this season. The 26-year-old, known as a solid perimeter defender, averaged team bests of 12.8 points and 4.9 assists in 22.5 minutes per game, with an excellent shooting line of .545/.370/.848.

Wright now has the honor of sharing a career accomplishment with future Hall of Famer Nikola Jokic, who was named the MVP of the ABA League in 2014/15, his age-20 season, when he played for Mega Basket in Serbia.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report considers the likelihood of a new deal for each of the 22 players eligible for rookie scale extensions this offseason. Pincus forecasts maximum-salary extensions for Magic forward Paolo Banchero and Thunder teammates Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, while predicting that Pistons big man Jalen Duren (four years, $112MM) will get the fourth-most lucrative deal among that group, ahead of Hawks guard Dyson Daniels and Nuggets guard Christian Braun (four years, $94MM each).
The Professional Basketball Writers Association officially named its first and second “All-Interview” teams for the 2024/25 season this week, recognizing the players who are “consistently thoughtful, insightful and engaging with the media.” As the PBWA details in a press release, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Donovan Mitchell, and Draymond Green made the first team, with Tyrese Haliburton, Mike Conley, Bam Adebayo, Josh Hart, and Damian Lillard making up the second team.
Amid reports that Shaquille O’Neal will be part of a new ownership group taking control of Napoli Basket, the Italian team issued a statement shooting down those rumors and referring to them as unfounded.
2025 has been the year of the NBA playoff comeback so far. Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press and Jeff Zillgitt and Lorenzo Reyes of USA Today take a closer look at how teams keep coming back from deficits of 20 or more points this spring.

Magic’s Banchero Discusses ‘Challenging’ Season, Potential Extension, More

May 6th, 2025 at 9:33am CST by Luke Adams

Speaking to Marc J. Spears of ESPN as part of a diary series for Andscape, Magic forward Paolo Banchero described the 2024/25 campaign as “more challenging than any other season I can remember in my life.” In addition to missing more than two months due to a torn oblique, Banchero saw his team take a step backward in the standings — Orlando finished with a 41-41 record after winning 47 games a year earlier.

“There was the injury and then coming back and playing myself back in shape. All the while, I’m still trying to compete with my team and win games,” Banchero said. “We were going through a rough month, losing a lot of games, dropping in the standings. And then you are coming back during the All-Star break, finding a little bit of a rhythm, winning some games, clinching the postseason (spot) and going up against the defending champ in the playoffs.”

According to Banchero, the season served as something of a “wake-up call” for him and his Magic teammates, who were plagued by health issues and didn’t take the step forward they hoped to after breaking through and making the playoffs in 2024 for the first time in four years.

“That’s just what I’ve learned over my first three years in this league: you can’t take any years in this league for granted,” Banchero said. “Every season is a new race. You have to approach it as such. You can’t just expect to have success or expect to be somewhere without actually putting the work in. Also, having luck; some of that is luck as well the way the cards are dealt.”

Here are a few more highlights from Banchero’s final diary entry of the year for Andscape:

On learning to be mindful of how his body is feeling:

“Getting hurt so early in the season — I had just come off a 50-point game, fourth game of the year — I was feeling in tip-top shape physically and I just felt like nothing could stop me or harm me. The game I did get hurt, I felt myself being really fatigued. And instead of asking for a sub or saying I need one, I kept it all in and said, ‘I’m good. I’m going to be fine.’ I ended up getting hurt in what would be a season-altering injury for me. So, I learned to listen to your body. Don’t overwork or over push yourself trying to be Superman in the first month of the season. It’s not worth it. Obviously, be smarter about that.”

On not being satisfied with new career highs in points (25.9) and rebounds (7.5) per game:

“Statistically, this is my best season, but to me, it doesn’t feel that way. … I really did come into this season expecting to dominate the whole season into the playoffs, accomplish all my goals. So, when that doesn’t happen, it leaves a lot to be desired and makes you even more hungry. I’m not going into the offseason like, ‘I just had a career year. I’m good.’ Stop. I feel like food was taken off my plate, in a sense. I feel like something was stolen from me. Not saying no one stole anything from me, but that’s just how I feel. … I’m just looking forward to bouncing back.”

On the possibility of signing a five-year, maximum-salary rookie scale extension worth a projected $247MM this offseason:

“I don’t know, man. I was in over my head when I signed my rookie (contract). So, I really haven’t thought much about that. … But it’s a blessing and hopefully all that stuff works out if I’m able to sign with the team and lock in my future. That’s every young player’s goal coming into this league, establishing yourself early, get a second contract. So, when (the) time comes, I’m sure all that stuff we can figure out. I don’t know. They say more money, more problems. So, we’ll see what happens.”

On potential roster upgrades for the Magic:

“We have a good feel of what our weaknesses are and what we need to work on. We just have to address some of those things. I’m looking forward to it, what changes are made. If there aren’t any changes, then there aren’t any changes, but if there are then I’m going to be ready to get to work and embrace it with open arms. … I’ve never really been a big recruiter, I’m not going to lie, but hey, if you’re interested, I can sell you. I have to play that by ear and just wait and see.”

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