Orlando Magic Wiretap

Paolo Banchero and the Orlando Magic have agreed to a five-year, $239 million maximum extension. The deal includes triggers to elevate his salary to the Rose rule max if he makes an All-NBA team.

The deal also has a player option for Banchero in 2030-31, which hasn't happened on a rookie max since Luka Doncic and Trae Young in 2021.

Orlando now has Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs signed for the next five years.

Banchero averaged 25.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists last season. Banchero missed 34 games over the first two months of last season due to an oblique injury.

The Orlando Magic signed Noah Penda to a four-year, $8.7 million contract.

The deal is fully guaranteed for the first two years at $3.4 million. There is a trigger date for the third year and a team option on the fourth year.

The Magic drafted Penda with the No. 32 pick in the draft after acquiring the pick from the Celtics. 

The Orlando Magic and free agent big man Moe Wagner have agreed to a one-year, $5 million contract. The Magic previously declined Wagner's team option this offseason, but had always planned to bring him back to Orlando.

Wagner was in the midst of the best season of his career last year, when he tore his ACL just before Christmas. The 28-year-old forward averaged 12.9 points and 4.9 rebounds in 18.8 minutes per game over 30 games off the Magic bench last season.

The Orlando Magic withdrew the qualifying offer for guard Mac McClung. This move makes McClung an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

McClung spent the last two seasons with Orlando on two-way contracts. He could have returned to the Magic for another two-way deal, but the team agreed to let him be an unrestricted free agent and to look for opportunities elsewhere. Orlando has a deep guard rotation and a full roster, meaning the pathway to a standard contract likely wasn't there for McClung.

McClung was the G League MVP for the 2023-24 season. He's also a three-time winner of the Slam Dunk Contest at the NBA's All-Star Weekend.

Tyus Jones and the Orlando Magic have agreed to a one-year, $7 million deal. Jones, who is represented by Kevin Bradbury, spent last season with the Phoenix Suns.

Jones averaged 10.2 points, 2.4 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 26.8 minutes across 81 games with the Suns. Jones shot 41.4 percent on three-pointers each of the past two seasons.

Jones gives the Magic depth at point guard behind Jalen Suggs.

The Orlando Magic have declined their team options on Moe Wagner and Caleb Houstan. The Magic retain Bird rights on both players and have interest in re-signing them in free agency. 

Wagner's contract for 2025-26 was worth $11 million. Wagner averaged 12.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 18.8 minutes over 30 games before suffering a torn ACL in December.

Houstan's contract was worth $2.19 million. Houstan appeared in 58 games for the Magic, averaging 4.1 points and 1.3 rebounds in 13.6 minutes. Houstan was the 32nd overall pick in the 2022 draft out of Michigan.

The Orlando Magic acquired the No. 32 pick from the Boston Celtics for Nos. 46 and 56 along with a 2026 second rounder and a 2027 second rounder. The Magic used the selection on Noah Penda out of France.

The Magic plan to sign Penda to a standard NBA contract for the 2025-26 season. Some teams were hoping to draft and stash Penda, which he wasn't interested in.

Orlando will send the most favorable second rounder in 2026 out of the Detroit Pistons, Milwaukee Bucks and Magic, as well as the most favorable 2027 second rounder between the Magic and Celtics.

The Magic still own four first rounder picks and nine second rounders over the next seven seasons.

The Phoenix Suns acquired the No. 31 overall pick and selected Rasheer Fleming out of Saint Joseph's to begin the second round of the 2025 NBA draft.

2025 NBA Draft, Round 1 Results
31. Phoenix Suns: Rasheer Fleming, F, Saint Joseph's
32. Orlando Magic: Noah Penda, F, France
33. Charlotte Hornets: Sion James, SF, Duke
34. Charlotte Hornets: Ryan Kalkbrenner, C, Creighton
35. Philadelphia 76ers: Johni Broome, C, Auburn
36. Los Angeles Lakers: Adou Thiero, PF, Arkansas
37. Detroit Pistons: Chaz Lanier, SG, Tennessee
38. Indiana Pacers: Kam Jones, PG/SG, Marquette
39. Toronto Raptors: Alijah Martin, SG, Florida
40. New Orleans Pelicans: Micah Peavy, SG/SF, Georgetown
41. Phoenix Suns: Koby Brea, SG/SF, Kentucky
42. Sacramento Kings: Maxime Raynaud, C, Stanford
43. Washington Wizards: Jamir Watkins, SG/SF, Florida State
44. Oklahoma City Thunder: Brooks Barnhizer, SF, Northwestern
45. Minnesota Timberwolves: Rocco Zikarsky, C, Brisbane
46. Boston Celtics: Amari Williams, C, Kentucky
47. Milwaukee Bucks: Bogoljub Markovic, PF/C, Mega Superbet 
48. Memphis Grizzlies: Javon Small, PG, West Virginia
49. Cleveland Cavaliers: Tyrese Proctor, G, Duke
50. LA Clippers: Kobe Sanders, SG/SF, Nevada
51. New York Knicks: Mohamed Diawara, F, France
52. Golden State Warriors: Alex Toohey, SF/PF, Sydney
53. Utah Jazz: John Tonje, SF, Wisconsin
54. Indiana Pacers: Taelon Peter, G, Liberty
55. Chicago Bulls: Lachlan Olbrich, PF/C, Illawarra
56. Golden State Warriors: Will Richard, SG, Florida
57. Boston Celtics: Max Shulga, G, VCU
58. Cleveland Cavaliers: Saliou Niang, SG/SF, Trento 
59. Houston Rockets: Jahmai Mashack, G, Tennessee

The Dallas Mavericks have opened up the 2025 NBA draft by selecting Cooper Flagg out of Duke with the first overall pick. Flagg will wear No. 32 for the Mavericks after wearing No. 2 at Duke The Mavericks won the lottery with just a 1.8 percent change, which is the fourth lowest in NBA history.

The San Antonio Spurs selected Dylan Harper out of Rutgers with the No. 2 pick. San Antonio has the two most recent Rookies of the Year in Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle.

The Philadelphia 76ers then selected V.J. Edgecombe out of Baylor at No. 3 followed by Kon Knueppel to the Charlotte Hornets at No. 4.

The first real surprise of the draft came when the Utah Jazz selected Ace Bailey. Bailey had an unorthodox lead up to the draft in which he didn't work out for any teams. Bailey had hoped to be selected by the Washington Wizards, New Orleans Pelicans or Brooklyn Nets.

2025 NBA Draft, Round 1 Results
1. Dallas Mavericks: Cooper Flagg, SF/PF, Duke
2. San Antonio Spurs: Dylan Harper, PG, Rutgers
3. Philadelphia 76ers: V.J. Edgecombe, SG, Baylor
4. Charlotte Hornets: Kon Knueppel, SF, Duke
5. Utah Jazz: Ace Bailey, SF, Rutgers
6. Washington Wizards: Tre Johnson, SG, Texas
7. New Orleans Pelicans: Jeremiah Fears, PG, Oklahoma
8. Brooklyn Nets: Egor Demin, PG, BYU
9. Toronto Raptors: Collin Murray-Boyles, PF/C, South Carolina
10. Phoenix Suns (via PHX/BKN/HOU): Khaman Maluach, C, Duke
11. Memphis Grizzlies (via POR): Cedric Coward, SF, Washington State
12. Chicago Bulls: Noa Essengue, PF, Ratiopharm Ulm
13. New Orleans Pelicans (via SAC/ATL): Derik Queen, C, Maryland
14. San Antonio Spurs: (via ATL): Carter Bryant, SF, Arizona
15. Oklahoma City Thunder (via MIA/LAC): Thomas Sorber, C, Georgetown
16. Portland Trail Blazers (via ORL/MEM): Yang Hansen, C, China
17. Minnesota Timberwolves (via DET/NYK): Joan Beringer, C, Cedevita Olimpija
18. Utah Jazz (via MEM/WAS): Walter Clayton Jr., PG, Florida
19. Brooklyn Nets (via MIL/NYK): Nolan Traore, PG, Saint-Quentin
20. Miami Heat (via GSW): Kasparas Jakucionis, PG, Illinois
21. Washington Wizards (via MIN/UTA): Will Riley, SF, Illinois
22. Brooklyn Nets (via LAL/NOP/ATL): Drake Powell, SG/SF, North Carolina
23. Atlanta Hawks (via IND/NOP): Asa Newell, PF/C, Georgia
24. Sacramento Kings (via LAC/OKC): Nique Clifford, SG, Colorado State
25. Orlando Magic (via DEN): Jase Richardson, PG/SG, Michigan State
26. Brooklyn Nets (via NYK): Ben Saraf, PG/SG, Ratiopharm Ulm
27. Brooklyn Nets (via HOU): Danny Wolf, PF, Michigan
28. Boston Celtics: Hugo Gonzalez, SG/SF, Real Madrid
29. Charlotte Hornets (via CLE/UTA/PHX): Liam McNeeley, SG/SF, UConn
30. LA Clippers (via OKC): Yanic Konan Niederhauser, C, Penn State

As the Phoenix Suns canvassed the league in search for a Kevin Durant trade, they inquired with the Cleveland Cavaliers on a trade for Darius Garland. The Cavaliers wanted other assets along with Durant from the Suns in exchange for Garland. Phoenix eventually moved forward with a trade sending Durant to the Houston Rockets for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 pick and five second round picks.

"The Suns, from what I'm told, reached out and had interest in Garland," said Brian Windhorst on ESPN Cleveland. "It was not the Cavs who wanted to trade Garland."

"The Cavs said the only way they would ever consider this would be if the Suns sent Kevin Durant plus other assets. And the Suns didn't hang up the phone. I'll just point out that the Suns own the Cavs 2029 first round pick because they got it from the Jazz last year. And getting back your own picks in the distant future is somewhat attractive.

"But the Cavs to do that trade would have had to offload salary because they just couldn't take it on. I do think they had some calls about bringing in third teams. It just wasn't one call. And it wouldn't have been just Durant. And it wasn't them looking to trade Garland, but they made more than one call. This was a while ago."

Garland underwent surgery on his left great toe and will be out four to five months. The Cavaliers are entering the second apron next season and have been prudent on evaluating their options this offseason whereas last season they were adamant Garland wouldn't be traded. However, the Cavaliers are certainly not looking to trade Garland. 

"I do believe they're not trying to shop him," added Windhorst.

Windhorst also confirmed that the Orlando Magic reached out to the Cavaliers on Garland. The Magic instead acquired Desmond Bane from the Memphis Grizzlies.