Just a few days after Cooper Flagg became Duke basketball’s sixth No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, another former Blue Devil drafted first overall has received a big-time contract extension.
On Monday, Paolo Banchero and the Orlando Magic agreed to a five-year maximum rookie contract extension worth $287 million. The deal will keep him in central Florida through the 2030-31 season with a player option on the final year of his deal.
After earning All-American and ACC Rookie of the Year honors as a true freshman at Duke, Banchero was selected with the top pick in the draft by the Magic in 2022. He was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2023 and All-Star honors in 2024.
Banchero has averaged more than 20 points per game in each of his three seasons in the league. His 25.9 PPG this past season was the best of his career, and he likely would have earned All-Star honors for the second year in a row were it not for a torn oblique in October, which caused him to miss most of the first half of the season before returning in January.
At just 22, the 6-foot-10 power forward has already established himself as one of the best young players in the NBA. Now, the Magic have locked up the young star for several years to come.
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