Magic news: Paolo Banchero shouts out 2 special teammates who helped NBA transition

Orlando Magic star Paolo Banchero recently credited two former teammates for helping him navigate the early challenges of his NBA career.

Speaking on The Pivot Podcast, Banchero reflected on his rookie season after being selected No. 1 overall in the 2022 NBA Draft. The 22-year-old forward said the welcoming environment in Orlando played a major role in his development.

“They welcomed me with open arms from the second I got there,” Banchero said. “The team was great, I remember first meeting the team at Summer League that year and us doing a dinner… and them being the coolest group of dudes that I’ve ever really been around.”

Among those who stood out was Markelle Fultz, a fellow former No. 1 overall pick. Fultz spent five seasons with the Magic and played alongside Banchero during his first two years in the league.

“One is Markelle Fultz, he’s a former No. 1 pick so he understood the shoes that I was in and so he was with me my first two years there. He helped me a ton, man,” Banchero said. “I looked up to Markelle, like watching him – I was in eighth grade when he was at the Dub and so I was at that stage where I was realizing my NBA dreams and to see a dude come to UW and go No. 1 was amazing to me.”

Paolo Banchero praises Markelle Fultz, Terrence Ross for guiding him through NBA transition

Orlando Magic power forward Paolo Banchero (5) celebrates with point guard Markelle Fultz (20) after defeating the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center. — © Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

Fultz provided a steady voice during the ups and downs of Banchero’s early career.

“When I didn’t play well or when I had a rough night or whatever, I would take it super hard,” Banchero said. “He would always be the guy to pull me to the side and just be like, ‘relax bro, it’s 82 games. You ain’t about to have a great game every night.’ He was just like that calming presence… he understood more than anybody just how all this can affect you.”

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The Houston Rockets invested heavily into Fred VanVleet during the 2023 offseason. Houston gave the point guard a three-year, $128 million deal in a move that was meant to turn the Rockets from a rebuilding team into a championship contending one. The signing did just that, as the Rockets finished the 2024-25 regular season as the two-seed in a stacked Western Conference. VanVleet was the veteran presence and 3-point shooter that the team desperately needed, and he still might have a role with the Rockets going forward. Houston has a team option on his contract for next year, and they very well may pick it up. The Wichita State product reportedly wants to stay in Houston, but the point guard would be set to make over $44 million next season under his current contract. The Rockets and their guard recently pushed back the deadline on Houston's decision with VanVleet, and although reports suggest that they are interested in writing up a new, long-term deal, it isn't necessarily a guarantee that VanVleet will be playing for Houston next year. The Rockets blew him away with an offer he couldn't refuse back in 2023, and another team could so the same when/if he hits the open market this offseason. If VanVleet does become an unrestricted free agent, which teams outside of Houston would make the most sense for him to sign with? 1. Orlando Magic Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner recently signed big deals with the Orlando Magic, and Paolo Banchero will be getting a mega contract extension here soon. Because of that, the Magic no longer have money to blow like they have had in recent years. That will make a deal for another big ticket free agent hard to pull off, especially considering the team signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope last year. If Orlando can make the money work, though, then Fred VanVleet would be a great fit with the Magic. The Magic finished dead last in 3-point shooting this season, and VanVleet has made at least 2.5 deep balls per game in every season since 2018-19. VanVleet can hit shots form behind the arc off of the bounce or in catch-and-shoot situations. The Rockets were heavily reliant on his shooting expertise, so the guard would have plenty of familiarity getting up deep shots with high volume if he signed with the Magic. While undersized, VanVleet is a pesky defender, so he'd fit right in with a Magic team that has one of the best defensive units in the league. VanVleet could play alongside Suggs and give opposing teams fits. Ultimately, though, the Magic just need more shooting to get to the next level, and VanVleet is arguably the best shooter who could be available on the open market this offseason. 2. Brooklyn Nets A more realistic option for a VanVleet destination would be the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets are set up to have the most cap space this offseason, and they have a major need at point guard. With D'Angelo Russell and De'Anthony Melton hitting free agency this offseason, the Nets don't have a true point guard under contract for next season. Brooklyn needs to spend big this offseason, and they'd be smart to offer VanVleet a contract big enough that he'd have no choice but to leave Houston. VanVleet averaged 14.1 points per game last season, which was his lowest mark since 2018-19. He is trending the wrong way, but he still has enough left in the tank to give the Nets a few good seasons. 3. Portland Trail Blazers In the same way that the Rockets were looking to take the next step in 2023, the Portland Trail Blazers could use VanVleet's presence to get over the hump. The Trail Blazers have plenty of big man depth, as centers Deandre Ayton, Donovan Clingan, Robert Williams, and Duop Death are all under contract next season. Portland also has a lot of wing depth. Deni Advija started to look like a star late this past season, Toumani Camara is an elite defender, Shaedon Sharpe is a freakish athlete, and Jerami Grant is a proven scorer. The team is thinner in the backcourt, though. Anfernee Simons is a solid scorer, but Scoot Henderson has looked like a fringe draft bust since being drafted third overall. Portland shouldn't give up on Henderson completely, but there wouldn't be any harm in signing another guard. Like the Magic, the Blazers were one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the NBA. VanVleet would improve that weakness, and in a stacked Western Conference, Portland needs all of the help they can get if they are to compete for a playoff spot.

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Fultz, 26, was not re-signed by Orlando following the 2023–24 season. He later joined the Sacramento Kings late in the 2024–25 regular season. In 21 games with the Kings, he averaged 2.9 points, 1.3 assists, and one rebound in 8.8 minutes per contest.

Banchero also praised Terrence Ross for his mentorship during his rookie year. Ross, who spent seven seasons with the Magic, retired after the 2022–23 campaign.

“Another guy was Terrence Ross… another UW guy actually, who I watched growing up a lot,” Banchero said. “He helped me a lot too because he had been there for eight years in Orlando. I looked up to him too… and he would just keep it straightforward.”

Ross offered honest, constructive feedback Banchero trusted.

“I would go to him and ask him what he thought about how I was playing, what I could do better,” Banchero said. “T-Ross is one of the chillest dudes ever and so I knew it was coming from the right place.”

Ross, 34, played 63 games between the Magic and Phoenix Suns in his final season. He averaged 12.7 points, three rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game across 349 appearances with Orlando, shooting 41.4% from the field and 35.1% from three-point range.