Orlando is not expected to extend Anthony Black before the rookie scale deadline, with league sources saying the Magic would rather keep their options open than add another major contract now. The plan appears to push the 22-year-old guard’s next contract decision into next summer, when he could be dealt with as a restricted free agent.
That timing matters because Black’s name is back in circulation just as the league’s extension market keeps moving. Thunder guard Cason Wallace agreed to a five-year deal worth $139MM on Sunday night, adding to a run of deals for Victor Wembanyama, Keyonte George, Brandin Podziemski, Amen Thompson and Ausar Thompson. For Orlando, the question is not whether Black has value. It is how soon the team wants to commit to him while the payroll is already crowded.
The Magic already have Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs and Desmond Bane earning more than $32MM this season, and league sources told Marc Stein that Orlando is not in position to add another large, expensive contract to that structure. Jeff Weltman has said the team is in “a lot tighter quarters” financially than in years past, and he also said, “We expect Anthony to have a great year.”
That leaves Orlando in a familiar but uncomfortable spot. The team has no desire to trade Black, yet it also does not want to lock itself into another costly deal before it has to. Weltman’s view that deals can happen later fits the approach here, and Stein expects the Magic to take more time to sort out their financial future before revisiting Black’s contract next summer.
The deadline will not settle the larger question by itself. If Orlando stays patient, Black’s path could move from rookie-scale extension talk to restricted free agency, which gives the Magic control but still forces a decision when the next offseason arrives.
