Magic Declines Fourth-Year Option on Jett Howard
magic-declines-fourth-year-option-on-jett-howard
ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 29, 2025 — The Orlando Magic have chosen not to exercise the fourth-year team option on guard Jett Howard’s rookie-scale contract, leaving the 11th overall pick from the 2023 NBA Draft on track for unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2026.
The option would have carried a $7,337,938 cap hit for the 2026-27 season. Because the team declined it, neither Orlando nor any franchise that might acquire Howard before February’s trade deadline can offer him a first-year salary above that figure next offseason.
Howard, 22, has struggled to secure a steady rotation spot. Over 80 career games, the former Michigan standout is averaging 3.7 points and 1.0 rebound in 9.8 minutes, shooting 36.9 percent from the floor and 29.4 percent from three-point range.
Team finances factored heavily into the decision. Even without Howard’s projected salary, the Magic expect to operate near the tax apron in 2026-27, when Paolo Banchero’s maximum rookie-scale extension kicks in.
Other Option Decisions
The club did exercise two other rookie-scale options:
- Anthony Black: The 21-year-old guard’s fourth-year option was picked up, guaranteeing him $10,106,315 for 2026-27. Black is averaging 12.0 points and 3.5 rebounds in 26.0 minutes while shooting 53.1 percent from the field off Orlando’s bench. He becomes extension-eligible in the 2026 offseason.
- Tristan Da Silva: The German forward’s third-year option for 2026-27 was exercised at $3,991,200. Da Silva, drafted 18th in 2024, posted 7.2 points and 3.3 rebounds across 74 games (38 starts) as a rookie. The Magic must decide by next October whether to guarantee his $6.14 million option for 2027-28.
The decisions arrive ahead of the Oct. 31 deadline for teams to finalize rookie-scale option choices.
Source: Hoops Rumors
