Miami (AFP) – Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero has agreed to a five-year maximum rookie contract extension worth $239 million with the NBA club, according to multiple reports on Monday.
The 22-year-old American, taken with the first pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, could make up to $287 million in the deal, according to reports by ESPN, The Athletic, and the Orlando Sentinel. Banchero suffered a torn oblique and missed two months of the 2024-25 NBA campaign but still produced career-high averages of 25.9 points and 7.5 rebounds as well as 4.6 assists.
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Banchero could boost his salary by being named NBA Most Valuable Player or Defensive Player of the Year next season, or being named to an All-NBA or All-Defensive lineup. Banchero would also have a player option for the 2030-31 season, according to the reports.
The Magic will have their core of talent — Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Jalen Suggs — under contract for the next five seasons. Orlando also has guard Desmond Bane, obtained in a trade with Memphis last month, signed through the 2028-29 campaign.
Banchero, the 2023 NBA Rookie of the Year, has averaged 22.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 4.6 assists a game over three seasons with the Magic.
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