Though a young team, the Orlando Magic have structure. They’ve established a defensive identity. They’ve identified a pecking order on offense. They even recognize who their core players are.
Magic, Former Top-10 Pick Wendell Carter Jr. Agree To Contract Extension
Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. has agreed to a three-year, $59 million contract extension, per ESPN senior insider Shams Charania. The seventh overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, Carter also signed a contract extension with the franchise in Oct. 2021, just five months after being traded by the Chicago Bulls. In 315 career regular season appearances, he’s averaged 12.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 0.8 blocks per game.
Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. has agreed to a three-year, $59 million contract extension, per his agent Mike Miller of LIFT Sports Management. Carter secures his maximum extension and $82M in new deal through 2028-29 season. pic.twitter.com/7qicNLEYcg
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 8, 2024
In 2023-24, Carter made a career-high 37.4 percent of his three-pointers.
Not Much Competition, Internally
A versatile and surprisingly nimble big man at 6-foot-10 and 270 pounds, Carter’s main issue is that he’s good in multiple areas but not elite in any of them. Nonetheless, he’s been a full-time starter throughout his career. In fact, he’s started in 299 of the 322 games he’s played, playoffs included.
The Magic have so much depth at center that agreeing to another contract extension with Carter so early could be confusing to some. However, in Orlando, Carter doesn’t have much competition for his starting spot.
Mo Wagner’s skill is underrated and he plays with a lot of gusto. Yet, the former first round pick doesn’t have as much success as Carter at either end. It’s a similar story with Goga Bitadze, though the Georgian giant is a solid shot-blocker.
Jonathan Isaac, who added 30 pounds over the offseason, is regarded as a forward but may be able to switch to center. At 6-foot-10, he’s a vaunted defender who has made 37.8 percent of his three-point attempts the past two seasons. Still, he may not play center nominally until 2025-26.
Wagner’s contract expires at the end of the 2024-25 season. The Magic seem to like the German pivot and his relationship with Frank Wagner will factor into his future with the franchise. Still, there’s no guarantee that they’re going to be able to re-sign him. Frankly, if the opportunity to make a splash trade and increase the team’s talent level arises, M. Wagner has a pretty good chance of being part of the package.
With that being said, Carter could be part of one too. Like Wagner, he’s agreed to an affordable contract that teams won’t shy away from. Furthermore, teams like the New Orleans Pelicans and Dallas Mavericks have been linked to Carter for months.
