After the Oklahoma City Thunder made a leap with their young core, the Orlando Magic are widely viewed as the Eastern Conference equivalent given the talent they’ve assembled in the past few drafts.
The Magic have a future bonafide superstar in Paolo Banchero and a worthy number two who could be an All-Star someday in Franz Wagner.
Those two forwards will be the pillars of the franchise for years to come, though they’ve also got other high-level prospects worth watching.
Orlando selected Anthony Black and Jett Howard in the lottery during the 2023 NBA Draft and both players fill needs on the roster.
However, the Magic have quality guards in Markelle Fultz and Jalen Suggs to help round out their rotation.
With Fultz and Suggs, some expected Orlando to trade away Cole Anthony but instead they decided to extend him to a three-year deal via Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony has agreed on a three-year, $39 million contract extension, Jeff Schwartz and Javon Phillips of @excelbasketball tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/HREzVXzYlt
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 23, 2023
Anthony was a rumored trade candidate for most of the offseason given the other guards already on the team, but it looks like the Magic were able to find some value in the deal.
Although undersized and a score-first player, Anthony has some utility off the bench and is able to lift the offense in spurts.
However, he also makes for great salary ballast in a potential trade should they eventually pivot and look for help elsewhere.
All in all, it feels like a solid deal for both sides and looks even better when considering that the salary cap is expected to take a few jumps in the coming years.
NEXT: Magic HC Gets Honest On Team's Expectations This Season