Paolo Banchero making his first All-NBA team this season would benefit everyone involved. It would help the Magic, of course, because it means that the team's young star has taken his game to another level. It would help Paolo Banchero, too, because it would earn him a pretty considerable raise when his 5-year extension kicks in next season. If Banchero makes an All-NBA team this year, his $239 million deal suddenly becomes a $287 million supermax deal. That's a pretty big incentive.
It's not like Paolo Banchero wasn't going to play his hardest this season anyway; but when nearly $50 million is on the line, that likely adds a little more juice to a game in mid-January. He's sort of in a contract year in 2025-26. He has the safety of knowing the deal is done, but also has reason — outside of team success, of course — to be even better. It's not a bad situation to be in!
What would a Paolo supermax mean for the Magic?
It feels like All-NBA is the logical next step for this team's star player. He won Rookie of the Year in his first campaign, made the All-Star Game in his second, and was off to the races in year three before it was derailed by an injury. So let's assume he does make an All-NBA team. What does that mean for Orlando's cap sheet, and its future decision-making?
Probably not that much. But that's because things are going to get a little dicey either way. Like I said, Banchero's extension is already happening, whether or not it becomes a supermax or not. And the Magic (as currently constructed) are likely to be brushing up against the second apron next offseason either way.
Franz Wagner, Desmond Bane, Jalen Suggs, Jonathan Isaac, and Wendell Carter Jr. are all under team control through 2028-29. I don't think Magic fans will have many complaints about any of those deals, but they do add up quickly. And in the new era of aprons, having an expensive team for too long leads to some scary sanctions.
Since all those guys are locked up for years to come, the Magic should win and win quickly as to fend off questions about whether this core can compete at a high level. Paolo is 22, Franz is 24, Jalen Suggs is 24, and Desmond Bane is 27. They're all young — but they've all gotten paid already, which (fair or not) means the timeline has been accelerated. The clock is ticking to win, because not winning at a high level for a team that has four players making over $30 million per year is a rough place to be, no matter how old those players are.
But for the time being, Magic fans shouldn't concern themselves with talk of aprons. Yes, this team is going to get expensive, but it's also more talented than it has been in over a decade. And if Paolo Banchero makes next year's salary bill a little bit higher, that means something went right in 2025-26.