Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner are two of the NBA's solid young stars, yet they seemingly have not received much coverage or attention like their other contemporaries. It is something that their teammate Wendell Carter Jr. is not at all surprised about, given that they play for a small market in Orlando.
The Magic center highlighted this on his appearance on Fan Duel TV's "Ran It Back" show, when asked by the former player turned analyst Chandler Parsons about the attention, or lack thereof, that Wagner and Banchero have been receiving despite posting numbers comparable to many of the current league stars.
"Um, I think it's just a small market team that we're in. Just being down here in Orlando. Uh, you know, even Paolo, in my opinion, doesn't get the coverage that, you know, I think he deserves. So, in my opinion, I just blame the market," Carter said.
"Those guys are putting up phenomenal numbers. Um, you know, for the past two or three years, you know, they've turned this franchise around. So I'm just going to blame it on that," the Duke product added.
Young Magic stars are delivering
Despite not receiving enough coverage with the Magic, a team considered mid-market according to Nielsen estimates, with a TV market size of 1.73 million and a metro population of 2.7 million, Banchero and Wagner have formed an impressive dynamic duo for their team.
Twenty-three-year-old Banchero, the 2023 NBA Rookie of the Year out of Duke, has been a 22-point, seven-rebound and five-assist guy for the Magic. He had a solid campaign last year, where he averaged career-highs of 25.9 points and 7.5 rebounds despite being limited to just 46 games because of injury.
Wagner, 24, for his part, has been a career 19-point scorer and a 47% shooter, who can also affect games in a variety of ways. Like his running partner Banchero, he also had a stellar year last season, posting career numbers of 24.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.3 steals.
More telling in the way the two have been delivering is that they have towed the Magic along with their ascent. Orlando has made two consecutive playoff appearances after missing the bus in the previous three seasons. It is also widely considered among the emerging forces in the Eastern Conference.
The tandem of Banchero and Wagner has also brought excitement to the Magic organization, as the two are just beginning their NBA journey.
"The fact of the matter is, these guys are in their pre-prime. They're barely in their pre-prime. They're almost in their pre-pre-prime. And so, they are going to get better, better and better and better," Magic President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman pointed out.
Team-leading once again
In the ongoing NBA campaign, Wagner and Banchero are once again at it with their team-leading ways.
The Magic got off to a slow start, going 1-4 in their first five games, but have since steadily turned things around, going 6-3 in their last nine games for a 7-7 record.
Wagner is the leading scorer of the squad with 23.1 points per game, while Banchero continues to be a triple threat with averages of 21.7 points. 8.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists.
They have received added help with the addition of Desmond Bane in the offseason, and Carter, Jalen Suggs, Tristan da Silva and Anthony Black are providing steady support, which should only enhance their level of play.
Banchero and Wagner may not be getting the attention they deserve at this point, but with the way they are handling their affairs, they couldn't care less. And the Magic are all the better for it.
Related: Draymond Green explained why he's talking trash so much: "Everybody's susceptible to that"
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Nov 18, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.