"He’s not winning a ring in Orlando so he took the money" - NBA fans erupt to Paolo Banchero’s blockbuster $287 million Magic extension

The Orlando Magic have secured All-Star forward Paolo Banchero to a five-year maximum rookie extension worth up to $287 million on Monday, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

Charania reported that the forward's contract has a player option, confirmed by his agent and former NBA player Mike Miller. This is the first for a player max extension since Luka Doncic and Trae Young in 2021.

Banchero continued to improve in his third season, averaging a career-best 25.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists. Despite being limited to 46 games due to an oblique injury, he earned his second All-Star selection.

After the contract extension was posted on social media, fans revealed their thoughts.

"He knows he’s not winning a ring in Orlando so he took the money and ran," a fan said.

"Giving this to a dude who hasn’t made it out of the 1st round yet is INSANE😭😭😭" another fan commented.

"Will be one of the worst contracts in the league in 3 years," one fan commented.

Other fans thought that Banchero deserved his new deal with Orlando.

"100% deserved, MVP talks next year once magic win the East 🔜" someone pointed out.

"He deserves every penny hes the closest player we have to young LeBron in the league," a fan commented.

"Franchise player that deserves it. He gotta stop settling for so many jumpers tho. He’s too dominant in the paint," one fan said.

The Magic believe that they have a chance to contend for a championship with Paolo Banchero. This is why they wanted to secure him for the long run.

In the offseason, they've also made significant changes and additions to give the former Duke star a better shot at being competitive.

A breakdown of Paolo Banchero's rookie contract extension

The Magic secured the core of Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs, who are all signed through five years. Even the newest member of the team, Desmond Bane, is under contract until the 2028-29 season.

NBA insider Bobby Marks posted a breakdown of Banchero's new deal. In the first year, he's projected to earn $41.2 million. The following season, the star forward will earn $44.5 million and $47.8 million in the third year.

The 6-foot-10 forward will earn a salary of $51.1 million in the fourth year, and his player option in the fifth year will be $54.4 million.

The contract will have a 30% increase if he earns MVP, All-NBA or Defensive Player of the Year during the 2025-26 season. While his stats could be good enough for him to be an All-NBA player, Paolo Banchero needs to be in peak physical form to meet the 65-game requirement.