Wendell Carter Jr. Signs Contract Extension with Orlando Magic

Wendell Carter Jr. has solidified his future with the Orlando Magic by signing a contract extension, the team announced on Monday. While the Magic did not disclose specific details of the deal, reports from ESPN indicate that the 25-year-old center has agreed to a three-year, $59 million extension, with the final year being a team option.

Carter’s new contract will take effect after the remaining two years on his current deal, which totals $28 million. This extension ensures Carter’s place with the Magic for the foreseeable future as the team looks to build on its recent success.

Since being drafted by the Chicago Bulls as the No. 7 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft out of Duke, Carter has split his career between Chicago and Orlando. In March 2021, he was traded to the Magic as part of a deal that sent All-Star Nikola Vucevic and Al-Farouq Aminu to the Bulls. Carter, along with Otto Porter and two first-round picks, was sent to Orlando in return.

Carter has shown steady growth during his time in the NBA. Last season, he posted averages of 11 points and 6.9 rebounds across 55 games, including 48 starts. Over his five-year career, which includes 315 games (294 as a starter), Carter has averaged 12.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. His breakout season came in 2021-22, when he delivered a career-high 15 points and 10.5 rebounds per game, establishing himself as a key piece of Orlando’s young core.

With this extension, Carter remains a crucial part of the Magic’s plans as they aim to improve on their promising 2023-24 season. Orlando finished tied for fifth in the Eastern Conference last season, boasting a 47-35 record. Despite their progress, they fell to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a hard-fought seven-game series in the first round of the playoffs.

Carter’s commitment to the Magic signals his desire to continue growing with a team that has embraced its youth movement and is looking to make deeper postseason runs in the near future.