Anthony Black’s rise has put the Orlando Magic in a tricky spot, and the numbers around the roster only make it more complicated.
Black is heading into his fourth season after a big leap last year, when he posted career highs across the board and averaged 15 points per game. That kind of jump has naturally fueled extension talk, but Bleacher Report recently projected that Orlando won’t lock him up before the October deadline. Instead, the outlet expects the Magic to wait until July 2027 to sort out his long-term future, with the team’s existing financial commitments playing a major role in that call.
That’s the reality Orlando is dealing with right now. The Magic have built this group with the idea of competing immediately, but staying healthy enough to make a deep playoff run has still been an issue. And with significant money already tied up in Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Desmond Bane, Jalen Suggs and Wendell Carter Jr., the team may not have much room to maneuver if Black’s camp is looking for a new deal before the deadline.
Black has shown why he matters. He’s grown into a useful two-way guard, leaning on his size on defense while taking real steps forward as a scorer.
The question isn’t whether he can help. It’s where he fits, both on the floor and on the books.
That gets even more complicated with Bane and Suggs set to make more than $71 million combined in 2027-28. If Black is pushing toward a starting role, he has to climb over expensive established pieces. If he stays in a reserve role, the price tag could still get uncomfortable fast, especially if his asking price begins above $20 million annually.
For now, Orlando has the luxury of time. The team doesn’t need to force a decision and can keep Black while evaluating him over the course of the season before reaching a call in restricted free agency.
Full Court Magic host Don Strouble also weighed in on Black’s trajectory and what he might mean next season.
“What is this team going to get from Anthony Black, right? Black enjoyed an exponential jump last season, got up to 15 points per game average.
And I would have been curious to see what he would have been able to do if he didn't suffer, I believe it was that abdominal strain there towards the second half of the year, February into March. What would he have been able to achieve if he didn't have to miss a month of basketball?
Because there were nights when he looked great, but he was another one that shrunk in the postseason. Can he be better?
Can he show that he's extension-worthy and that he is a legitimate six-man night in and night out?”
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Vucevic gives the Magic a familiar backup center option whose recent stretch suggests there is still room for a rebound after his midseason team change, while Carter remains part of the depth chart that can stabilize the frontcourt when needed. For a team trying to turn regular-season progress into something more meaningful, those bench minutes could end up carrying far more weight than they usually do. [Read more 🡒]