Kendrick Perkins is already planting a bold flag on the Orlando Magic’s future, and it centers on Paolo Banchero.
On a recent episode of Road Trippin with Richard Jefferson, Channing Frye and Allie Clifton, the ESPN analyst made a blunt prediction about where things are headed for Orlando. Perkins said the Magic will end up moving on from Banchero this season, calling it only a matter of time.
“The Orlando Magic. You fired the coach.
They’re not going to have a run like they’re expecting. You got a new head coach,” Perkins said.
“They’re going to move on from Paolo Banchero eventually. He will be the first All-Star, All-NBA player traded.”
The timing of that prediction lands with the 2026-27 NBA season less than two months away and the schedule already out, which has only fueled the usual wave of preseason chatter. Orlando’s coaching change is part of the backdrop too, with Jamahl Mosley out and Sean Sweeney now in charge.
Banchero, meanwhile, is just entering his fifth NBA season. The Magic made him the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, and he earned his first All-Star nod in the 2023-24 season, his second year in the league. He has not returned to the All-Star stage since then, even though his production has kept him in that conversation.
Last season, the former Duke standout played 72 games and logged a little more than 34 minutes per night. He averaged 22.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 5.2 assists while shooting 45.9 percent from the field, 30.5 percent from 3-point range and 77.5 percent from the line.
For now, though, the Magic have not shown any sign that they’re open to trade talks involving Banchero, even with speculation floating around this offseason.
In Other News...
Magic Core Faces Its Biggest Test In A Tougher East
The offseason in Orlando was more about patience than splashes, with the front office leaning into internal growth and the return of Nikola Vuevi rather than chasing major roster turnover. For a team built around Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs and Desmond Bane, the hope is that continuity can do some of the heavy lifting in a conference that keeps getting deeper and more expensive to navigate.
ESPNs projection has the Magic finishing 10th in the East, just inside the play-in picture, which says plenty about the pressure on this group to take a real step forward. The challenge is obvious: Orlando is counting on its core to keep rising while several rivals around the conference made bigger offseason swings, leaving the Magic to prove their patient approach can still hold up in a tougher landscape. [Read more 🡒]
Magic Young Core Is Creating A Contract Debate Fans Should Watch
The Magics roster is moving into the part of the calendar where growth and payroll start to collide, and that makes the next few seasons especially interesting in Orlando. Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs and Paolo Banchero give the franchise a young core with obvious upside, while Wendell Carter Jr., Mo Bamba and Markelle Fultz add more layers to the long-term picture as the team tries to sort out who fits best when the roster is built for the 2026-27 season and beyond.
Orlando also has to think about how that development plan plays with the coaching staff and the front offices contract decisions, because the difference between a promising group and a costly one can come down to timing. The Magic have enough talent to believe in the future, but the real question is how they manage those next deals, which pieces are worth committing to and how much room they want to leave for the next phase of the build. [Read more 🡒]
Magic Already Face A Season Test They Couldn't Afford Again
The Magic are heading into a season in which the schedule will ask plenty of their legs before the games even start. Orlandos 2026-27 slate includes 14 back-to-back sets, a grind that adds another layer of pressure for a team already trying to build something under first-year coach Sean Sweeney while avoiding the kind of injury disruption that has too often shaped its recent seasons.
Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner are already treating the offseason with that reality in mind, making health and recovery a clear priority. Wagner even skipped playing in Germany this summer to rest, a reminder that for Orlando, staying available may be just as important as whatever tactical changes Sweeney brings to the bench. [Read more 🡒]