The Magic Insider

NBA 2K Reveals Top Five Overall Magic Players in NBA 2K25

The annual release of the NBA 2K series gives a glimpse at how the popular video game company assesses players around the league. This year, ahead of NBA 2K25, the Orlando Magic have three players in the top 100, and now know the top five overall players on the roster.

Mason Williams

Nov 11, 2023; Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs (4) gestures towards Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) during the first half against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Nov 11, 2023; Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs (4) gestures towards Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) during the first half against the Milwaukee Bucks. / Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports
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Another sign the NBA season is near is the annual release of the NBA 2K franchise.

This year's game, "NBA 2K25," is set to release in the coming days. In the buildup to that date, the game's social media accounts have been revealing the oft-debated ratings of the top 100 players in the NBA.

The Orlando Magic have three players listed in this year's top 100: forwards Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner and guard Jalen Suggs.

Banchero will grade 89 overall at release, checking in at No. 23 in the game's top 100. Wagner starts as an 86 overall and is No. 43 on the list, while Suggs' 82 overall checked in 72nd out of 100.

The newest grades show variation from the rankings that were made official in an April update to NBA 2K24. Banchero was 88 overall ahead of the Magic's playoff series with the Cleveland Cavaliers. While the Magic lost in seven games, Banchero was phenomenal – averaging 27.0 points, 8.6 rebounds and 4.0 assists in his postseason debut.

By considering the Magic's All-Star forward for a top 20 ranking in advance of the season, the game developers and ratings adjusters believe in Banchero's continued success. His closest comparisons are established stars — Atlanta's Trae Young, Miami's Jimmy Butler, and new 76er Paul George, to name a few.

Wagner also gets a 1-point bump in this year's initial ratings compared to how he finished last season. The starting grade of 86 is perhaps a vote of confidence from the game's decision-makers that Wagner's shooting struggles and playoff faults aren't representative of his caliber.

The Magic certainly don't think so, having signed him to a 5-year, $224-million extension that will kick in at the beginning of the 2025-26 season. But for what Wagner does at his age — he turns 23 on Aug. 27 — a top-50 rating is justifiable and still provides plenty of room for growth. Wagner's 86 overall puts him in the same conversation as Oklahoma City's Jalen Williams, Boston's Derrick White and Detroit's Cade Cunningham, and he's a tick higher than Toronto's Scottie Barnes and Houston's Alpren Sengun.

Suggs' rating drops by two points overall from his April update, when he entered the postseason as an 84 overall. Game developers are potentially asking whether the former Gonzaga product and fourth-year guard can sustain the forward leaps his game took in the 2023-24 season.

Suggs shares similar ratings as Oklahoma City's Alex Caruso, Cleveland's Darius Garland and New Orleans' Herb Jones, and is a point higher than Toronto's Immanuel Quickley and Chicago's Coby White.

Suggs is due for a new contract and it'll be interesting to see where he and the Magic land in terms of a numerical figure that each side deems appropriate.

Other notables...

  • Wendell Carter Jr.'s final NBA 2K24 rating was 82, which would put him firmly into the top 100 at the beginning of NBA 2K25. However, he is at best an 80 overall, as he did not appear in this year's initial top 100.
  • Tristan da Silva was revealed to be a 70 overall at the game's release, which made him the 20th-ranked rookie in the game's list.
  • Jalen Suggs' perimeter defense is a 93 overall, which is fourth-best among all players in the game. Only Jrue Holiday, Alex Caruso, and Herb Jones have higher marks.

August 30th update

The Magic have had two more player overalls revealed as the game's release date draws nearer.

As noted above, Wendell Carter Jr. received an 80 overall, which put him on the fringe of the top 100 players in the game. New Magic signing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope received a 78 overall.

The full ratings for everyone in the game have yet to be confirmed by NBA 2K. Once they are, this story will be updated.

Related Stories on the Orlando Magic

  • ANOTHER TOTAL WIN IMPROVEMENT?: Could the Magic eclipse their 47-win mark from a season ago in 2024-25? CLICK HERE
  • BANCHERO'S NEXT FIVE YEARS: NBA Champ? MVP? Nothing is off the table for the Magic's young star in his mind. CLICK HERE
  • 'OLD' OR READY?: Tristan da Silva is among the older rookies in his class. For a win-now Magic team, can that be of benefit? CLICK HERE
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Mason Williams
MASON WILLIAMS

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