Anthony Black has expressed a clear desire to sign a contract extension with the Orlando Magic in the coming months.
The Magic guard was selected sixth overall in the 2023 draft and is now eligible for a rookie scale extension as he enters his fourth year in the league.
Black has established himself as a key part of Orlando’s rotation, giving the club strong reasons to pursue a new deal with the young guard.
Orlando already carries significant long-term financial commitments to Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Desmond Bane, and Jalen Suggs, meaning negotiations with Black will likely be handled carefully.
Black told The Orlando Sentinel that signing an extension would carry real personal meaning beyond just the business side of things.
“It’s just an opportunity to officially stamp it as like my home,” Black said. “It’s just something I’ll be looking forward to doing. Starting my young life, this is the first city I’ve played in, so it would mean a lot being able to play here for years.”
Black also pointed to the team’s recent competitiveness as a major factor in his desire to stay in Orlando long-term.
“Obviously I want to win a lot too and I feel like we’re in a great position to do that and we came really close to doing that,” Black continued. “So, for me, that would be ideal, but it’s the NBA and it’s always a decision that has to be made.”
Hornets center Moussa Diabate enjoyed a breakout 2026/27 campaign, posting career highs in points, rebounds, assists, and blocks while starting 47 games in Charlotte.
The 24-year-old averaged 7.9 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.0 blocks per game across the season, firmly announcing himself as a legitimate contributor.
Diabate enters the final season of his minimum-salary contract and has made clear to The Charlotte Observer that he has no plans to become “complacent” heading into the new campaign.
“Not saying that at the end of the day, I want to (have) a pull-up jumper and all this, but being a threat offensively is going to make me even better, and it’s going to help my teammates,” Diabate said.
“So for me, definitely being comfortable with the ball more. Whether it’s me pushing it on the break or just on my handoffs or anything like that, me driving to the basket. Just really expand my game,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Washington Wizards are experiencing a sharp surge in fan interest following trades for Trae Young and Anthony Davis, plus a draft lottery victory.
The Wizards have finished below .500 for eight consecutive seasons and have not won more than 18 games in a season since 2022/23, making recent developments a significant turning point for the franchise.
President of business operations Jim Van Stone told The Athletic the team recorded a 190% increase in new full-season ticket revenue from 2025 to 2026.
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