Magic Exercise Team Options on Banchero, Howard and Black

ORLANDO –– The Orlando Magic have exercised the third-year team options of guards Anthony Black and Jett Howard, as well as the fourth-year team option of forward Paolo Banchero, the Magic said Friday afternoon.

All three players are now signed to the Magic through the 2025-26 NBA season.

The move comes as no surprise, as Banchero will be eligible for a rookie scale max extension upon the conclusion of the 2024-25 season. Last year, Orlando's former No. 1 overall draft pick out of Duke in the 2022 NBA draft, became a first-time All-Star – following up his NBA Rookie of the Year campaign by becoming the youngest player in NBA history to lead his team in scoring, rebounding and assists for a season. For the year, he averaged 22.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists a game.

He was one of just six players in the league last year to surpass all of 1,500+ points, 500+ rebounds and 400+ assists. Banchero tallied a team-high 16 double-doubles and two triple-doubles. Over two complete seasons with the Magic, he has played and started all 159 games in his career including regular and postseason.

Black, the No. 6 overall pick by the Magic out of Arkansas in 2023, played in 69 games and made 33 starts during the regular season in his rookie year. He averaged 4.6 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists in a variable role.

Howard, selected five picks later out of Michigan at No. 11 in '23, played in 18 NBA games last year and appeared in 29 games with G League affiliate Osceola. With the Magic, Howard averaged just 1.7 points per game in 3.7 minutes a game. With Osceola, however, Howard averaged 18.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 32.0 minutes a game.

Details of the contract were not released per team policy. However, Banchero is due to make $15.3 million in the final year of his rookie deal, while Black is scheduled to make $7.9 million and Howard $5.5 million in 2025-26 as a result of their team options.