The Orlando Magic have a new head coach (Sean Sweeney), and they could soon have a new sixth man as well.
Orlando could potentially trade away guard Anthony Black, Brian Windhorst of ESPN reported on Friday. Black is due for an extension, but the Magic currently have an expensive roster and are on the hook to pay about $32 million in luxury tax this season (set to mark the first time that Orlando has been in the tax since 2010).
Windhorst adds that rival NBA teams are watching whether Black will ultimately become available, especially with Orlando being short on draft assets following their 2025 trade for Desmond Bane. You can read Windhorst’s full report on the situation here.
Black, 22, was Orlando’s No. 6 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. He has since flourished as a sixth man for the Magic and also drew 40 spot starts last season amid injuries to players like Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner.
As a result, Black had a career year and averaged 15.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in under 30 minutes per game. Now Orlando has until the Oct. 19 deadline to agree to an extension with Black, after which point he would become a restricted free agent next summer.
Last season, the Magic went 45-37 but lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Detroit Pistons (meaning that they still have not won a single playoff series ever since 2010). If Orlando does not believe that the ceiling of their current roster justifies the hefty price tag, Black (and his prodigious athleticism) would certainly become a coveted trade candidate.
