5 Reasons the Magic Not Extending Anthony Black was a Mistake

The Orlando Magic have plenty of reasons for hope this season, but this latest choice could throw a wrench in their plans.

Orlando has its sights on a deep playoff run, while the team is balancing the books between building a contender for today and tomorrow. This front office has done a great job finding talented prospects and good basketball players through the draft, trade and free agency, even generally committing to team-friendly deals with most of those players when possible.

But now, the team has done something that might come back to haunt them – Orlando has decided to not extend their young swingman Anthony Black. Instead, the Magic are choosing to send AB to restricted free agency. If the Magic don't play their cards right, this could be the first domino to fall leading to the team losing Black; first mentally, then literally.

Most folks seem to chalk up Orlando eclipsing 40 wins too early as an arriving-early success story while blaming coaching for why the team failed to increase that win total to 50-wins overnight, when the team was actually a competitive playoff team despite missing its most impactful two-way player in Wagner for half of the last two seasons, along with Suggs and Banchero for spurts.

Black was a huge part of this team overcoming two seasons from hell with injuries to still find competitive playoff success, until he finally hit an injury snag himself. This team needed Black's versatility every step of the way; he has proven to be a player who makes this team go, who makes many of their best lineup combinations come to life.

AB's play has often been the lifeblood keeping this team alive and well through the team's injuries these recent seasons. The Magic choosing to leave his fate up to restricted free agency could be a mistake that comes back to haunt them; here are five reasons why this is a bad idea.

1. Shows a Lack of Belief

With the Magic not agreeing to an extension with Black, they have potentially made an unforgivable sin when keeping the players you draft happy over the long term.

Gordan Hayward in Utah is one prime example setting precedent showing that not committing to your key players early on could be the stab in the back that sends a player walking, back-end working, or flat-out demanding their way out as soon as they can.

This front office has signed all of its big time talents whom they drafted in-house before now to extensions, now suddenly one of the most promising prospects around the whole league doesn't get that respect?

How many pennies can they expect to pinch in a small RFA market where it's worth ruining the relationship with one of your best players, affecting his play for the whole season you're expecting him to be here before that happens, let alone risking not being happy here long term?

2. What are the Real Feelings about the Roster?

Let's follow two lines of logic - if this Orlando Magic team publicly says it believes in this roster enough to run it back where the primary change is a new voice coaching up the locker room, and if this team says they are willing to pay the luxury tax for a good team, then the time has come to put their money where their mouth is.

Paying Black what he deserves as the versatile spot-starting savior who bailed this team out as much or more than any player in recent years would be showing the player, the team, and the city this team is serious about contending. Not doing so might trigger a chain of events that eventually sees AB keeping one on the door, because his team doesn't publicly commit to him being there for the long term.

Now, AB is practically in a paid mercenary D&3 role, here to throw his body around the court for hustle plays, play energetic defense, step up as a scorer any time one of the starters is out to injury, and maybe if he's lucky get paid what he's been worth for years if another team deems him worthy next summer, instead of when that commitment could have been made by his own team, 6pm on Oct 19th.

3. Leaving it to the Market is Dangerous

On the one hand, the salary cap structure of teams is changing drastically, with franchises reevaluating how much to spend on players when stars demand such high percentages of the cap.

On the other hand, Black has already shown All-Defensive potential as a league leader in deflections per game with feisty energy, active hands, and natural defensive instincts forcing turnovers; he's also an electric offensive talent pushing the pace off those turnover, ranking 2nd in dunks among guards last season, flashing development in many ways as a ball-handler, driver, and decision maker.

Two players in similar situations who were able to ink deals with their respective teams are OKC Guard Cason Wallace securing a 5-year/$139M deal and GSW Guard Brandon Podziemski earning a 5-year/$110M deal, averaging rough $26M/yr and $22M/year respectively.

With ESPN's Brian Windhorst reporting the Magic aren't even offering Black a deal at Podziemski's range, let alone one closer to Wallace that Black is probably worth on the market, the two sides at this negotiation table appear to not be even in the same ballpark

A proven scorer, an improving 3pt shooter, a sound defender, AB has upside as a tall pull-up shooting point guard with a sound high floor bringing two-way impact as a connective playmaking ball hawk wing, Black will demand a market no matter how much further he pushes the envelope this season.

4. Black's Motivations Now

So, as the team talks to players about being motivated to sacrifice for the greater good of the whole, Black's repayment is walking into a building every day that told him he was not worthy of the extension that any other team would be thrilled to pay him, that every other key player got.

While Magic fans naturally believe every player should show up motivated and give their all just because they are in the NBA, sometimes there are factors at play that lead the player to question how dedicated the team he plays for is to them.

In sports, loyalty is a two-way street with a three-way turn; the Fans never leave, while the players and front office are paid to be there. Playing basketball is what this is all about, winning championships is the goal, but sometimes the money is a factor when it comes to motivations, locker room chemistry, and building that two-way street of loyalty.

If you think you're one of the best players on the team, but the team isn't willing to pay you the rate of those players, are you going to continue sacrificing your body playing the defensive roles hustling for loose balls to make the winning plays needed to win on the margins in this league?

5. This Shouldn't be the Odd Man Out

One could say Black can just go out and prove himself; go ball out any opportunity he gets. But that's what he's alraedy done for years as a plug-and-play starter anywhere on the perimeter.

They'd say to go out there and play so well that another team is forced to pay you so much in restricted free agency, so Orlando will be finally forced to pay you what you're worth on the market, or the Magic will let you walk because they have so much salary tied up to other key players in Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Desmond Bane, Jalen Suggs, and Wendell Carter Jr.

But, Black being the odd man out feels like a mistake. This team works together, everyone in the building believes that; it's essentially why they are running it back one more time together.Leaving Black's contract up to another team to decide, while not backing your former 6th-overall pick with a commitment at the level you did everyone else, feels like creating a storm off the court that could carry over onto the court when this team has bigger picture goals in mind to worry about.

The Magic keep flexibility with this move; the ability to trade Black, or anyone else for that matter, before the deadline. But, they lose some trust between themselves and one of the most important young players to this team and to this community. Hopefully, it doesn't come back to bite them.