Paolo Banchero is usually pretty stoic on the court or off the court. He knows how to say the right things and keep a level head in the way that someone groomed for stardom often has.
A massive payday was inevitable after Banchero tore through an injury-filled season with 25.9 points per game, 7.8 rebounds per game and 4.9 assists per game. But when he was asked about the potential for that max extension during the team's exit interviews, he downplayed it and played coy.
"I love it here," Banchero said during exit interviews in May. "It's a place I love spending time here. My family loves spending time here. I couldn't be happier to be part of the Orlando Magic. I look forward to hopefully spending a lot more years here."
No one else played coy.
Franz Wagner, who signed his max extension last summer, was asked about the potential of Paolo Banchero signing his max extension and sheepishly smiled and said negotiations surely would not take very long or be too complicated.
Even Monday afternoon as president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman commented on the signing of Tyus Jones, Weltman said he would not get into negotiations but they remained hopeful they would get a deal done.
That deal indeed got done.
The Magic are doing the inevitable, giving Banchero a reported max five-year extension with a player option on the final year in 2030-31. The contract would be worth $242.7 million under current cap projections. It could be worth up to $291.2 million if he makes All-NBA and receives a supermax contract.
"We are thrilled to keep Paolo in a Magic uniform for years to come," Weltman said in a press release announcing the extension. "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."
This is the kind of deal a superstar gets -- Paolo Banchero is the first max rookie extension with a player option since Luka Doncic and Trae Young. Orlando cemented its core, locking up the four key players -- Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs and Desmond Bane -- with long-term contracts through the 2029 season. Banchero can opt out of his contract in the summer of 2030, making the other three free agents in the same summer.
The Magic's championship window is now flung wide open with the Magic paying at least a combined $155 million for their top four players in the 2027 season.
Banchero ends debate about his stardom
Paolo Banchero is indeed this team's star player. He is indeed the player the Magic have invested their entire future in building around. He is the player they have put their faith and trust in.
Debate about Banchero's stardom is still raging around the Internet and has become one of the easiest clickbait debates among NBA fans.
Banchero is one of the quietest superstars in the league. Someone who has done nothing but produce at a historic level through his first three seasons but has taken criticisms for his inefficiency in a league that sometimes focuses too much on numbers and not enough in watching the intangible way players eat up attention and focus.
The debate about Paolo Banchero's star status was raging enough around the Internet over the weekend that Jalen Williams, a draft mate due his own extension chimed in to quiet the unnecessary debate.
That has been something that has dogged Banchero throughout his career -- even in his pre-draft process. He is an old-school scoring wing that does not fit the modern analytics game's eye.
Never mind that Banchero was a battering ram who was among the leaders in free throw attempts per game starting in his rookie year, a mark that has not abated. Never mind he is among the most double-teamed players in the league. And never mind that he has been playing on an offensively challenged team with poor spacing around him.
Never mind, too, that Banchero upped his game in both playoff series he has played in, averaging 27.0/8.6/4.4 and 40.0 percent shooting from three in the seven-game series with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2024 and 29.4/8.4/4.2 and 44.4 percent 3-point shooting in the five-game series with the Boston Celtics in 2025.
Banchero does all the things a team would expect a superstar to do. He has delivered everything the Magic would expect a star they picked with the top overall pick to deliver.
The Magic are ready to win
Of course, what defines Paolo Banchero as much as anything is that he and the team want more. They were not satisfied with a return trip to the Playoffs last year. They were disappointed in finishing 41-41 despite all their injuries and exiting early.
The Magic as a franchise put their money up with the trade for Desmond Bane and the massive contracts for Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs. Paolo Banchero was indeed the last piece to cement this core.
Orlando enters this season with massive expectations. They are already slated as the third favorite to win the Eastern Conference.
These are the expectations a team would expect of a player they are prepared to give a max contract to. They come with the territory. And the Magic are feeling the pressure now to win and win big.
To do that, you need a superstar player.
The Magic have known they have had one since they made Banchero the first pick of the 2022 NBA Draft. Now they have paid him like one.
They have their star. One they hope they can build a championship team around.