Jalen Suggs

Magic Notes: Wagner, Depth, Black, Isaac

The Magic have been playing without Paolo Banchero as he deals with a torn right oblique, but Franz Wagner has been playing like an All-Star in his absence, Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel opines.

As Bianchi points out, Wagner is one of just seven players averaging at least 20.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game, with the former Michigan forward joining stars Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jayson Tatum, Nikola Jokic, James Harden and De’Aaron Fox in that company.

The former No. 8 overall pick has yet to earn an All-Star nod, but he has increased his scoring average every season and is putting up 19.3 points since the start of the 2022/23 campaign. In his last five games, Wagner is averaging 27.8 PPG and 6.0 APG.

We have more on the Magic:

  • Life without Banchero proved to be difficult initially, as the Magic lost their first four games without their All-Star forward after his injury, including three by double figures. Since then, they’ve won four straight. Josh Robbins of The Athletic writes that Wagner’s All-Star level play is helping, but they’re also getting terrific defensive contributions from the likes of Jalen Suggs, Jonathan Isaac and Anthony Black. “I’m so proud of them, so proud of this group,” head coach Jamahl Mosley said. “It wasn’t a pretty one, but it’s the way you have to try to get it done in this league, and these guys embraced it. [They] easily could’ve given in. But we talk about how much grit this team has, and you see how connected they are. They fought through the shooting lulls at times, the turnovers early, and they found a way.
  • Although rookie Tristan Da Silva has taken over Banchero’s spot in the starting lineup, the team has been closing games with Black next to the starters, as the Orlando Sentinel’s Jason Beede details. “Super comfortable,” Black said. “When I play with [the starters], my role is super simple and easy — just affect the game on the defensive end.
  • Isaac played in both games of the Magic’s home back-to-back against Charlotte on Tuesday and Indiana on Wednesday. He began playing in back-to-backs last season for the first time since 2019. This season, it’s not a question whether he’s going to play in both games, Beede writes in the same piece. “It does feel like a big deal,” Isaac said. “Especially when it’s not so much of a thought anymore. That’s huge. … It’s been a slow start to the season but I’m starting to feel like myself again with just my energy level, getting back to running up and down and playing heavier minutes. I feel great.

Magic Notes: Banchero, Mosley, Anthony, KCP

Magic star forward Paolo Banchero will be sidelined indefinitely after being diagnosed with a torn right oblique. Head coach Jamahl Mosley was understandably disappointed by the news, but he also said it’s an opportunity for other players, per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.

It sucks. There’s no other way to put it,” Mosley said. “It sucks for him, the way in which he started this year, the way in which he was playing, the way he’s carrying us in so many ways. And in the same breath, you have to say it’s an opportunity — it’s an opportunity for guys to step up, step into their role, opportunity for guys to continue to play to our standard of basketball.”

Orlando announced that Banchero will be reevaluated in four-to-six weeks. The former No. 1 overall pick is hoping he’ll be back sooner rather than later, Reynolds adds.

Hopefully, it’s not a multi, three-, four-month injury,” Banchero said. “Hopefully, it’s just six, something weeks. Just trying to stay engaged as much as I can and stay positive, take it one day at a time and be ready to come back.”

Here’s more on the Magic:

  • Since Banchero is such a huge part of Orlando’s offense, particularly in half-court settings, Josh Robbins of The Athletic suggests the team might look to push the pace a bit more while he’s sidelined. Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs are obvious candidates for more play-making duties, but multiple players will have to step up offensively, Robbins notes.
  • Reserve guard Cole Anthony, who played 81 games last season, received a rare DNP-CD in Wednesday’s loss to Chicago. He said the reason he didn’t play was simple, according to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. “I mean, I’ve been playing like [expletive],” Anthony said. “It’s not really that much to it.” In four games this season, Anthony is averaging just 2.0 PPG while shooting 3-of-16 from the floor (18.8%) in 14.0 MPG. The 24-year-old said Mosley informed him of the decision before the game, and while it wasn’t an easy conversation, he said he has a great relationship with his coach. “I’m going to continue working … and at some point, I’m hopeful I get an opportunity out there,” Anthony said, per Beede. “I’ll be ready to hoop.”
  • Veteran wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope told Marc J. Spears of Andscape it was a difficult decision to leave the Nuggets in free agency, but he has no regrets about signing a three-year, $66MM contract with the Magic. “It was hard. We gave them the opportunity, but things happen,” Caldwell-Pope said. “I let my agent, Rich Paul, handle all that. But my agent always told me, ‘This is a business at the end of the day.’ I got to figure out what’s going to make me happy, what fits best for me and my family … I was part of the first [Nuggets title] in almost like 40-something years. Of, course everybody that was on that team that year is going to be a part of that championship going down in history. It’s just always a blessing and I’m thankful just to be a part of stuff like that and to also play a major role in it.”

Southeast Notes: J. Johnson, Suggs, Ball, Mann, Okongwu, Banchero, Miller

Jalen Johnson‘s five-year extension with the Hawks was one of the last deals to be announced on Monday because the paperwork reached the league office just minutes before the 5:00 pm Central deadline, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN. In an article co-written with Tim Bontemps, Windhorst states that the two sides didn’t come to an agreement until after Jalen Suggs reached an extension with the Magic. Both teams slightly increased their offers to get the deals finalized, sources tell Windhorst.

He adds that Hawks officials were relieved to get Johnson to commit to a five-year arrangement with no player option. Johnson is coming off a breakthrough season in which he averaged 16.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.2 steals in 56 games, and at 23 he’s viewed as one of the young cornerstones of the franchise.

Scouts and executives from rival teams were impressed that Atlanta and Orlando were able to sign their young stars to contracts that will become less burdensome over time, Bontemps adds. The salary cap is projected to increase by up to 10% each season, but Johnson’s deal will stay flat at $30MM for each of the next five years, while Suggs’ salary starts at $35MM next season and declines until it reaches $26.7MM in 2029/30.

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

  • Hornets guard LaMelo Ball is wearing strong ankle braces to help avoid the injury problems that have ended his last two seasons, Bontemps reveals in the same piece. Ball was impressive with 34 points, eight rebounds and 11 assists in the season opener, and he got help from Tre Mann, who contributed 24 points off the bench and could be in line for a breakout season after being acquired from Oklahoma City in February. Sources tell Bontemps that Mann had offseason talks about a rookie scale extension with Charlotte, but wasn’t able to come to an agreement.
  • Center Onyeka Okongwu sparked the Hawks with 28 points, eight rebounds and three blocks in an opening night win over Brooklyn. He was happy to be able to play 28 minutes after missing time late last season with a toe injury and being used sparingly during the preseason, per Lauren Williams of The Journal-Constitution. “That was my main concern, just coming into this season,” Okongwu said. “It was my conditioning. I was blessed to spend my summer getting right, but I felt really good out there and I’m just happy we got the win.”
  • Magic forward Paolo Banchero has released the first installment of this year’s Andscape diary with Marc J. Spears. Banchero talks about growing up in Seattle, the adjustment to Orlando, the playoff series with Cleveland, advice from Jayson Tatum and Luka Doncic and a few other topics.
  • Brandon Miller will be reevaluated in a week after being forced out of Wednesday’s opener with a glute strain, the Hornets announced (via Twitter). Head coach Charles Lee talked to Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer about the challenge of replacing Miller.

Contract Details: Gordon, Moody, Suggs, Green, Sengun, Murphy, More

The three-year veteran extension that Aaron Gordon signed with the Nuggets is worth $103,608,840 in total base salary, Hoops Rumors has confirmed. As expected, Gordon is getting the maximum 40% raise on his 2025/26 salary ($22,841,455), with 8% annual raises after that.

Gordon’s is also getting the maximum 40% bump (and 8% subsequent increases) on his $1.2MM in incentives for the ’25/26 season, so they’ll increase to $1.68MM in the first year of the extension and will be worth $5,443,200 in total across the three years of the deal. That means that if the Nuggets forward earns all his bonuses, he could make up to $109,052,040 over those three seasons.

The trade kicker on Gordon’s extension is for just 3%, which represents the lowest percentage of any active trade kicker around the NBA.

Here are more details on some of the contracts recently signed by players across the league:

  • Moses Moody‘s three-year extension with the Warriors actually has a total base value of $37.5MM, rather than the $39MM initially reported. The deal includes $1.5MM in incentives that could push the total value up to $39MM.
  • Jalen Suggs‘ five-year, $150MM extension with the Magic starts at $35MM in 2025/26 and has a descending structure. By the fifth year, in 2029/30, Suggs’ cap hit will be just $26.7MM.
  • The exact value of Jalen Green‘s three-year extension with the Rockets is $105,333,333. It starts at $33,333,333, with matching $36MM cap hits in years two and three (the third year is a player option).
  • Alperen Sengun‘s five-year, $185MM extension with the Rockets has an ascending structure, though it doesn’t increase by the maximum allowable 8% per year. It begins at $33,944,954 in 2025/26 and eventually gets as high as $39,036,697 in years four and five. The fifth year is a player option.
  • Trey Murphy‘s four-year, $112MM extension with the Pelicans begins at $25MM and increases by $2MM annually, getting up to $31MM by year four.
  • The new standard contract Alex Reese signed with the Thunder is a straightforward one-year, minimum-salary deal that is fully non-guaranteed. I’d be a little surprised if Reese lasts the whole season on that contract, but if he does, he’d be eligible for restricted free agency in the summer of 2025.
  • Alondes Williamstwo-way contract with the Pistons is for two years. While it’s pretty rare for a player to play out a full two-year, two-way contract, Detroit could technically keep Williams on his current deal all the way through the end of the 2025/26 season.

Magic Sign Jalen Suggs To Five-Year Extension

4:08pm: Suggs’ extension with the Magic is official, according to a press release issued by the team (Twitter link).

The $150.5MM deal is fully guaranteed, with no options, according to NBA reporter Jake Fischer and The Orlando Sentinel’s Jason Beede (Twitter links).


3:37pm: The Magic have agreed to sign guard Jalen Suggs to a five-year rookie scale extension worth $150.5MM, sources tell ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).

According to Charania (via Twitter), Suggs’ agent Darren Matsubara and team officials held a series of meetings in Orlando leading up to Monday’s extension deadline in order to finalize the terms of the deal.

Suggs’ NBA career got off to a bit of a slow start after he was selected fifth overall in the 2021 draft, as he battled injuries and struggled with his shot during his first two seasons. However, he enjoyed an impressive breakout year in 2023/24, averaging a career-high 12.6 points per game with a .471/.397/.756 shooting line and earning a spot on the All-Defensive Second Team. He also showed up on Most Improved Player and Defensive Player of the Year ballots.

With Markelle Fultz no longer in the point guard picture in Orlando, Suggs will likely be given more offensive responsibilities in his fourth NBA season and is poised to improve upon his career averages of 11.5 PPG and 3.2 APG while continuing to play lock-down defense on the other side of the ball.

As we wrote multiple times earlier in the offseason, Suggs’ camp likely viewed the five-year, $131MM extension Jaden McDaniels signed last fall as a point of reference for the Magic guard’s new deal. Like Suggs, McDaniels was considered one of the NBA’s top perimeter defenders and showed off an improved three-point shot in his third season before signing his second contract.

However, Suggs has a bigger offensive role than the Timberwolves forward and was able to secure an annual salary exceeding $30MM on his extension (assuming that $150.5MM total isn’t being inflated by incentives) compared to $26.2MM per year for McDaniels.

Suggs is the second core Magic player to sign a lucrative rookie scale extension this offseason, joining teammate Franz Wagner, who got a five-year, maximum-salary contract. Paolo Banchero is the next man up — he’ll become eligible for his own rookie scale extension in 2025.

Jonathan Isaac and Wendell Carter Jr. also signed long-term veteran extensions with Orlando this offseason and are each under contract through at least 2028.

Jalen Johnson Not Trending Toward Extension?

Jalen Johnson and the Hawks are not yet trending toward a rookie scale contract extension, Marc Stein reports in his latest Substack post.

Johnson is one of a handful of prominent players from the 2021 draft who has not signed an extension. In a Front Office column earlier this month, our Luke Adams ranked Johnson No. 1 among a group of nine players who are legitimate candidates for a rookie scale extension.

Another source informed Stein that Johnson has stood out during the Hawks’ training camp and the preseason. Johnson, the No. 20 pick in 2021, averaged 16.0 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists in his breakout 2023/24 campaign while appearing in 56 games (52 starts).

Rookie scale extensions must be reached by Monday at 6 p.m. ET. Otherwise, those players will be restricted free agents next summer.

Here’s more from Stein:

  • As he reported over the weekend, Quentin Grimes is a prime candidate for an extension, according to Stein, who says the Mavericks and Grimes, who was acquired from the Pistons during the offseason, are discussing a three-year deal.
  • Trey Murphy III and the Pelicans are also in active extension negotiations ahead of Monday’s deadline, league sources tell Stein. Murphy will miss the early portion of this season with a hamstring injury but has been highly productive when healthy. The five-year, $135MM extension signed in October 2023 by San Antonio’s Devin Vassell is a potential comparable for Murphy, Stein notes.
  • Reiterating a tweet from Saturday, Stein says the Magic’ Jalen Suggs is seeking a deal with an average annual value of at least $30MM.

Kuminga, Suggs, Giddey Among Extension Candidates Seeking $30MM+ Annually

The deadline for teams to sign players to rookie scale contract extensions falls on Monday and will force several clubs to make tough decisions.

The Warriors have two players under consideration for rookie scale extensions: Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody. As we relayed Friday evening, Moody appears more likely than Kuminga to receive an extension by Monday. Moody is in line to receive minutes at the wing spot in the wake up Klay Thompson‘s departure, and NBA insider Jake Fischer reports he could earn more than $10MM per season on his extension (Threads link).

However, Kuminga is seeking a near-max contract that would pay him north of $30MM annually. According to Fischer, the Warriors have “never seemed intent” on paying the forward that kind of money ahead of the season. That tracks with earlier reporting, which suggested that both sides are content to wait to see if Kuminga takes another step forward in 2024/25 and helps propel the team back into contention as its second- or third-best player. In that scenario, he would presumably be rewarded in restricted free agency next offseason.

Moody averaged 8.1 points and 3.0 rebounds per game last season while Kuminga broke out, averaging 16.1 PPG on 52.9% shooting from the field.

We have more on this year’s rookie scale extension candidates:

  • According to Fischer, Atlanta’s Jalen Johnson is facing a similar situation to Kuminga. However, there’s “far more optimism” that the Hawks and Johnson will finalize a deal worth north of $30MM each year, which is said to be the starting point for negotiations with the former Duke standout. Johnson broke out in a big way last season, jumping from 5.6 PPG and 4.0 RPG in 2022/23 to 16.0 PPG and 8.7 RPG. He’s primed to be a long-term fixture in Atlanta as one of the Hawks’ franchise cornerstones.
  • Magic guard Jalen Suggs is seeking an extension worth more than $30MM annually in talks with Orlando, NBA insider Marc Stein reports (Twitter link). It’s unclear whether or not Orlando is prepared to make that sort of offer, but Suggs emerged as one of the best defensive guards in the league last season, earning a spot on the All-Defensive Second Team, averaging 12.6 PPG and 1.4 SPG, improving his outside shooting to 39.7%, and helping the young Magic to a 47-win season.
  • Immanuel Quickley‘s five-year, $162.5MM contract with the Raptors is said to have set a benchmark for young guards across the league, Fischer says, confirming previous reporting. Bulls guard/forward Josh Giddey is also seeking at least $30MM per year on his next extension. However, the Bulls are more interested in seeing how Giddey fits with the team before committing that kind of money to him. Chicago traded Alex Caruso for Giddey in June.
  • The Rockets haven’t been willing to this point to approach a maximum-salary deal for either Jalen Green or Alperen Sengun, according to Fischer. We relayed Friday that the Rockets have held productive conversations with both players, submitting offers to each, but that those offers were below the max. Fischer indicates that Houston is completely fine with not agreeing to terms with either before the year begins.
  • Clippers guard Bones Hyland and Nets young players Cam Thomas and Day’Ron Sharpe are not expected to agree to terms on a rookie scale extension, according to Fischer. However, there remains some optimism that Hornets guard Tre Mann, Pacers forward Isaiah Jackson and Wizards wing Corey Kispert will be able to sign extensions by Monday’s deadline.
  • Quentin Grimes has emerged as a real candidate to receive an extension by Monday, according to Stein (Twitter link). Grimes was acquired by the Mavericks in exchange for Tim Hardaway Jr. this offseason and he’s averaged 8.5 PPG across three NBA seasons. His deal would presumably be in the ballpark of Moody’s, perhaps a bit more than $10MM per year.

Extension Rumors: Durant, Kuminga, Moody, Sengun, Green, Gordon

Suns forward Kevin Durant won’t sign a contract extension before the regular season begins, Shams Charania said during an appearance on Friday’s episode of NBA Today on ESPN (YouTube link).

As we outlined on Thursday, Durant – who has two years left on his current maximum-salary deal – is eligible until October 21 to sign a one-year extension worth up to $59.5MM. If he doesn’t sign that extension by Monday, his next opportunity to extend his contract will come during the 2025 offseason.

Durant downplayed the likelihood of completing a deal this fall, but has expressed “publicly and privately how much he loves Phoenix,” according to Charania, who suggests that both the former MVP and the team are focused on getting something done next offseason, when Durant could add two new years to his current contract for a total of $123.8MM.

The Over-38 rule prohibits Durant from signing any deal that would keep him under contract for four or more total years going forward.

Here are a few more of the latest updates on players who are eligible for contract extensions:

  • The Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga remain “far apart” in their extension negotiations, according to Charania, who said during that same NBA Today segment that there’s a sense Kuminga may enter the season without a new deal in place, putting him on track for restricted free agency in 2025. Charania adds that the Warriors forward is comfortable with the idea of betting on himself in 2024/25 and trying to earn a maximum-salary contract – or something close to it – next summer. Moses Moody appears “much more likely” than Kuminga to sign an extension with Golden State before Monday’s deadline, per Charania.
  • The Rockets have had “productive” conversations with both Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green and have made extension offers that would provide them with long-term financial security, according to Charania. However, Charania notes that those offers are below the max, so Sengun and Green will have to decide whether they’re willing to accept those deals or if they want to push for bigger paydays by opting for restricted free agency.
  • The Nuggets and forward Aaron Gordon are in “active conversations” about an extension, per Charania. Gordon is eligible to sign for up to $143.3MM on a four-year deal that would begin in 2025/26, though ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on the Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link) that Denver is hoping to get him to accept a little less than that. “They haven’t handed out that (max) offer,” Windhorst said (hat tip to RealGM). “Otherwise he would have signed it. From what I understand, they are negotiating and they’re hopeful of getting him at less than what would be his quote, unquote max.”
  • In an Insider-only story for ESPN.com, Bobby Marks examines some of this year’s top extension candidates and shares the offers he’d put on the table for several of them, including $148MM for Jalen Johnson, $128MM for Josh Giddey, and a whopping $165MM for Jalen Suggs (all five-year deals).

And-Ones: Top FAs, Under-The-Radar Players, Extensions, Carter-Williams

Kyrie Irving ranks as the potential top free agent next summer, according to Frank Urbina and Raul Barrigon of HoopsHype, though there’s no indication he wants to leave Dallas. Irving holds a player option for the 2025/26 season.

Rockets big man Alperen Sengun ranks as the No. 2 free agent, though he’ll be restricted if he doesn’t sign a rookie scale extension this month. At No. 3, Lakers forward LeBron James also has a ’25/26 player option, like Irving.

Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram comes in at No. 4 overall on HoopsHype’s top-25 list and is the top-ranked player who will be fully unrestricted, without the fallback of a player option — unless, of course, he signs a contract with New Orleans prior to free agency.

We have more from around the basketball world:

Jalen Suggs, Magic Express Optimism About Extension

Magic guard Jalen Suggs is eligible for a rookie scale extension up until October 21 and expressed optimism on Monday at Orlando’s media day that he and the team will be able to work something out, as Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel relays. President of basketball operations Jeff Weltman echoed that optimism.

“Jalen is a big part of what we’re doing and everybody knows that,” Weltman said. “For the person that he is, for the player that he is, I’m always hopeful that we can get something done. We have great relations with his representatives. I know that Jalen wants to be a part of the Magic. He’s an integral part of the chemistry and the team on and off the court. … We’ve had communications with his reps, but beyond that I won’t speak on those conversations.”

The No. 5 overall pick in the 2021 draft, Suggs struggled to score efficiently during his first two NBA seasons but enjoyed a breakout year in 2023/24.

In 75 games (all starts), the 23-year-old averaged a career-high 12.6 points per game on .471/.397/.756 shooting while also chipping in 3.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.4 steals per night. He earned a spot on the All-Defensive Second Team and showed up on Most Improved Player and Defensive Player of the Year ballots.

After the Magic parted with Markelle Fultz in free agency and opted not to pursue an upgrade at the point guard spot, Suggs figures to see a “significant” bump in offensive responsibilities, head coach Jamahl Mosley said on Monday. The fourth-year guard is welcoming that challenge.

“It’s something that I’ve wanted from the day I’ve stepped into this league,” Suggs said. “I wasn’t prepared for it (before). I wasn’t ready for it. God knew that and He slowed me down through injuries, bad times and trials, and really tested my resolve and how badly I wanted to be here. And I want to be here. I don’t want to be anywhere else.”

As we noted within our check-in on the Magic’s offseason, Suggs’ representatives at Wasserman Basketball will likely bring up the five-year, $131MM rookie scale extension Jaden McDaniels signed last fall in their conversations with Orlando’s front office.

The Timberwolves forward averaged 12.1 PPG with a .398 3PT% and excellent defense during the 2022/23 season before signing that contract, so Suggs’ reps could argue that their client deserves a similar deal, given his similar third-year numbers — or perhaps even a more lucrative one, after accounting for his added offensive responsibilities.

If Suggs and the Magic don’t agree to terms on an extension this fall, he’ll be eligible for restricted free agency next summer.