We are roughly 24 hours away from Monday's 6 p.m. EST extension deadline, and the Orlando Magic and Anthony Black have not come to terms.
Coming off a breakout 2025-26 season, Black, 22, became extension eligible for the first time this summer. Previous reporting has suggested that the two sides aren't going to agree to a deal as the clock winds down, which means that Black would enter the unsettling restricted free agency next summer.
Will the two sides reach that point, or will the Magic look to sell high on the fourth-year guard? According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, that's what multiple teams around the NBA are evaluating
"Teams are watching Magic guard Anthony Black," Windhorst wrote. "The Magic have an expensive roster now and going forward, currently in line to pay about $32 million in luxury tax this season, which would be their first year in the tax since 2010. The franchise has paid a totalof $39 million in its 37-year history.
"So the Magic are squeezed on their books and, after trading four first-round picks for Desmond Bane last year, are short on draft assets. This has led rival teams to watch whether Orlando considers moving on from Black if they can't come to terms on a rookie extension before the Monday deadline."
Why the Magic will likely hold onto Anthony Black:
Black was one of Orlando's most reliable players last season. Starting 40 of his 64 games, he averaged 15.0 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists on 44.7 percent shooting and 33.3 percent from 3-point range. Most importantly, Black's improved ballhandling and playmaking unleashed his best season as a slasher to date.
When it comes to rewarding Black a brand new contract, it becomes complicated. From the Magic's perspective, it's worth asking whether he can replicate last year's success. They also have to sort through an uncomfortable cap sheet, with nearly $460 million allocated to Jalen Suggs, Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Desmond Bane through 2029-30.
As a result, Windhorst mentioned that the organization wasn't willing to extend a contract similar to Brandin Podziemski's new five-year, $110 million deal.
"The Magic, sources said, have not yet been willing to offer the same $22 million per year average that Podziemski signed," Windhorst said.
Black and Podziemski share an agent, but Black is the superior player on both ends of the floor. So it doesn't make much sense for him to sign that deal even it was offered. But Black also risks going through an arduous negotation process with Orlando; we've seen Jonathan Kuminga, Jalen Duren and Josh Giddey have long-winded negotations in recent offseasons.
While deals have gotten done, toxicity has proliferated and relationships -- at least in Kuminga's case (and potentially Duren's) -- have deterioated.
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