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Early odds for the Orlando Magic to win each 2025 NBA award

With the bulk of the offseason completed and the contours of the 2025 season coming into clear view, the early favorites for each of the NBA's awards are coming out. Where do the Magic stand in the early awards races?

By Philip Rossman-Reich

Paolo Banchero was one of the standout players for the Orlando Magic in 2024. For the Magic to make a leap again, they need Banchero to make another leap.
Paolo Banchero was one of the standout players for the Orlando Magic in 2024. For the Magic to make a leap again, they need Banchero to make another leap. / Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
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Most Improved Player: Paolo Banchero

Betting Favorite: Victor Wembanyama (+850)
Magic Candidate: Paolo Banchero (+2,000), Franz Wagner (+4,000), Jalen Suggs (+5,000), Jonathan Isaac (+10,000)

It is always hard to get a grip on what the Most Improve Player award is supposed to be.

Is it supposed to be for a player who surpassed expectations and reclaimed some lost talent due to injury or disappointment? Is it supposed to be for a player who went from merely good to great or great to superstar?

This award has a fudgy definition. But as the board at FanDuel clearly shows, the Magic have candidates that can cover the whole gamut of what this award means.

The betting favorite among Magic players is Paolo Banchero who could go from All-Star player to All-NBA candidate quite easily. The expectation and hope is that he reaches a level similar to what he showed in the playoffs.

To do that, Banchero is going to have to quiet the criticisms that he is something of an empty-stats player. He will have to be a more efficient player. But that is achievable as his run in the playoffs showed. If Banchero makes more sound decisions.

The player more likely to make a major leap this season is Franz Wagner.

By all accounts, Wagner had a career season after averaging career-bests with 19.7 points per game, 5.3 rebounds per game and 3.7 assists per game. But all anyone could focus on was his poor 3-point shooting—28.1 percent in 2024 after shooting 36.1 percent in 2023. And that culminated in a frustrating 1-for-15 performance in Game 7 against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

It would not take very much for Wagner to put up some gaudy scoring numbers.

If he had merely made 35 percent of his threes last year, he would have made roughly 23 more 3-pointers and averaged 20.1 points per game.

If Wagner improves in the same way everyone expects Banchero to improve, Wagner could be due for a big season just on that improvement alone. It is the biggest thing everyone is focused on with Wagner ahead of the season.

Jalen Suggs could also be due for another leap. The Magic are looking for a consistent third scorer. And if he elevates his game to that level and a near-All-Star level, that could boost the Magic's playoff hopes. Suggs will take over point guard duties too and that could elevate his game and importance too.

And then, of course, there is Jonathan Isaac.

Isaac was playing last year still under some injury restrictions. He was limited in his minutes to a little more than 15 per game and he sat out in back to backs. If Orlando releases some of those injury restrictions, Isaac could be due for an impactful year on both ends of the floor.

Essentially, this is as much a team award as it is an individual award. If the Magic move from surefire Playoff team to budding conference contender, it will be because some player made a sizable leap. Whichever player that is could win Most Improved Player very soon.

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