Paolo Banchero Cards on The Rise as he Looks to Take Superstar Leap
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Paolo Banchero is in Orlando to stay. With news that, at only 22 years old, the Magic's rising star has signed a 5-year max extension that could end up worth $287 million, the Magic have put an exclamation mark on an offseason that could be the most important one for the franchise in decades. Let's take a look at Banchero's chances for superstar success in the Sunshine State, and at the way the card market is responding.
“We are thrilled to keep Paolo (Banchero) in a Magic uniform for years to come. At just 22, he has won NBA Rookie of the Year, been named an NBA All-Star and is widely regarded as one of our league’s brightest young stars.
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) July 8, 2025
This commitment reflects our belief in Paolo’s talent,… pic.twitter.com/gaWUFC5Vj1
Following a five-game first-round playoff defeat against the Boston Celtics, some may have been surprised at the bullish nature of Orlando's front office this offseason. But, the truth is, the team was missing Jalen Suggs, and still showed some serious toughness against Boston. Banchero and running mate Franz Wagner did trouble the Celts with a physical brand of basketball.
With injuries impacting the last two Eastern Conference champions, the East is wide open, and Orlando is planning to step through that door. Enter Desmond Bane, the sharpshooting guard from Memphis, who could just be the missing piece to the puzzle. With the floor spacing needed to allow Banchero to operate, there's every chance the timing is exactly right: We could be looking at Paolo Banchero's leap year. Could his card values rise right along with him?
The biggest Banchero sale of all-time was for this 2022/23 National Treasures Rookie Logoman Auto 1/1. The card sold for almost $160,000 in March 2024. Card Ladder's Value metric already places the card in more like the 225K range. For comparison, the number 2 pick in Banchero's draft (he was selected first), Chet Holmgren's version of the card fetched $144,000 in May 2024, but Card Ladder's Value metric actually puts the card closer to $100K at writing.
Perhaps Banchero does have a higher ceiling than Holmgren, at least from a star power perspective. There's no doubt that reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander takes up alot of Oxygen down in Oklahoma City, as does Jalen Williams. While Banchero is surrounded by quality talent in Wagner, Bane, and Suggs, it feels like the team is still ultimately being built around him. At the least, this is squarely Banchero and Wagner's team now and into the future. Interestingly, a recent auction at Fanatics Collect had some higher-end Banchero offerings, and closed on July 6. This PSA 9 White Sparkle Prizm RC sold for $1,620. That's the same amount the same card at same grade sold for in late April. The only current PSA 9 listed on eBay is listed at $2,550.
In the same auction, this National Treasures RC Patch Auto numbered to 24 sold for over $9,000. Card Ladder registers two other sales of this card, one for just under $7,500 and another at $8,334.
Many collectors place value in long-term commitments and contracts. They are often signals of intent, sent by an organization, about how they value a player, and what the expectations will be. Banchero is an interesting case, not really in the Face-of-the-League conversation, but rather, at a tier that almost guarantees stardom, and offers the potential of becoming a superstar.
The Magic have laid the groundwork and the Banchero contract extension and the rest of an active offseason combine to make a huge statement: they think Banchero can become that superstar. Will collectors follow suit?
Michael Terry is a writer based in Brooklyn. He specializes in sports, culture, and collecting. His work has appeared at Topps RIPPED, ESPN, Grantland, Vice Sports, and more.
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