What is Paolo Banchero's contract with Orlando Magic? Salary, duration, and more

Number 1 pick of the 2022 NBA draft, Paolo Banchero has been in prolific form for the Orlando Magic this season.

The Duke University graduate is a prolific two-way player and is currently averaging almost 20 points per game in the NBA.

Paolo Banchero's all-round skills mean that the Magic have always been intent on creating their team around the 20-year old for the future. This logically resulted in a $50.1 million, 4-year contract that Banchero signed in the beginning of July last year.

Currently in the first season of the 4-year deal, Banchero is already earning the big bucks for a rookie. He will see an increase of around half a million dollars and will earn slightly more than $11 million this year.

This will then increase to around $12.1 million for the 2024-25 NBA season. Finally, Banchero will earn more than $15.3 million in the 2025-26 NBA season.

In 2026, in order to make Paolo Bancheor a restricted free agent, the Orlando Magic will need to extend a $19.9 million qualifying offer for the player.

Orlando Magic need Paolo Banchero to keep delivering for rest of season

The Orlando Magic are preparing for the final stretch of the regular season, with 23 games left and a four-game gap to make up in the chase for the NBA Play-In Tournament. Despite being a young team, they are in a decent position and still very much capable of making it to the postseason.

The team's focus is on reaching the Play-In, which was not their initial target at the beginning of the season. With every game remaining important, the Magic must focus on the top of their roster to achieve success.

The team's future depends on how their two best players, Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, perform. The Magic's bench has performed exceptionally well, but it is not sustainable, and Banchero and Wagner need to step up, especially in closing games.

They are not only the leading duo but also the leading players in minutes per game. The team needs more from them if they are going to achieve their goals.

Paolo Banchero has been the obvious star performer for the Orlando Magic this season on both ends of the court.

Apart from his 19.9 points, the rookie is also averaging 3.6 assists, 6.6 rebounds, .9 steals and .5 blocks per game. The 20-year old is the obvious favorite for the rookie of the year award and only needs to continue in the same vein to win it.