Orlando Magic's Paolo Banchero Could Have A Catch-22 In Max Deal Offer

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero is quickly becoming one of the league's top-tier players. The 22-year-old averaged a career-high 25.9 points and 7.5 rebounds last season while dealing with an oblique injury. Though shortlived, Banchero's postseason performance demonstrated another level of dominance he's able to tap into. Now, the 2022 No. 1 pick in the draft will soon receive a monetary reward in the form of a max extension. However, it won't entirely play in Banchero's favor.

The expectation is Banchero will soon sign a rookie max extension, keeping him in Orlando for years to come. According to a prediction from Bleacher Report, the catch is Banchero won't receive a player option in the fifth year of the deal.

"For one thing, the Orlando Magic tend to traffic in team-friendly deals. They rarely give player options in the first place and are one of the few organizations that routinely negotiate agreements with team options," it wrote. "That norm (and Haliburton’s recent precedent) will make it easier for the Magic to lock Banchero down for a full five years rather than the four-plus-one structure."

"The most persuasive piece of evidence is of the in-house variety. Franz Wagner signed his own max extension last summer, and it was for a straight five years," it added. "Banchero is in for the same team-friendly treatment."

Banchero is going to get a massive payday, but he won't be holding all the cards in his new contract.

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