Paolo Banchero is heading into Year 5 with a clear offseason assignment: sharpen the parts of his game that can take him from star to something bigger.
Banchero has already shown why the Magic believe in him. He posted a career-best 45.9% field-goal percentage during the 2025-26 season, but not every part of his offensive profile moved in the right direction. His efficiency slipped from three-point range and in the midrange, and his shot profile also shifted to a career low at the rim, with 4.8 attempts on a career low 61.9%.
That’s where the next step comes in. New Magic head coach Sean Sweeny wants to unlock Banchero’s full offensive capabilities, and the idea is straightforward: get him back to being dangerous everywhere. Matt Hanifan put it this way in a recent article: “Paolo is best when attacking the rim, but he is even better when he is a threat at all three-levels.”
Banchero is spending part of the offseason working with Kevin Durant, one of the greatest shot-makers in NBA history. If Durant can help him tighten his footwork, improve his shot creation, and raise his mid-range efficiency, Banchero could be setting himself up for a real leap toward MVP contention.
Banchero also had this to say about the upcoming season:
That kind of accountability matters for a franchise player, especially one who has already shown the ceiling. Banchero has averaged as high as 25.9 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 5.4 assists, and the Magic are counting on that production to keep climbing.
He’ll have help around him, too. Franz Wagner and Desmond Bane should give him more room to operate, while Sweeney’s job is to shape an offense that fits the talent on hand and keeps the group in sync.
The standards are there now. For Banchero, that means pushing beyond the 45% mark from the field and getting to 80% at the free throw line, while also trying to set a new career high from deep beyond his current 33.9%. His 50-point, 13-rebound, nine-assist performance in 2024 offers the kind of blueprint the Magic want to see more often.
Working with Durant gives Banchero a chance to learn from one of the game’s cleanest scorers. Pair that with a coach focused on maximizing the roster, and Orlando has a real shot to keep moving forward with its franchise player leading the way.
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Now he gets another chance to sort it out in a different setting, with Dallas creating room for him by waiving Tyler Smith. Howard is set to split time between the NBA and G League under coach Dusty May, and for a player still trying to turn draft pedigree into a defined role, the appeal is obvious even if the path forward is still a little unfinished. [Read more 🡒]