ORLANDO — Another sign that 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 two weeks. In the lead-up to that date, the game’s social media accounts have been revealing the often-controversial ratings of the NBA’s top 100 players.
The Orlando Magic have three players in this year’s top 100: forwards Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner and guard Jalen Suggs.
Banchero will have an overall rating of 89 upon his release, ranking 23rd in the game’s top 100. Wagner starts with an overall rating of 86 and is No. 43 on the list, while Suggs’ overall rating of 82 places him 72nd out of 100.
.@NBA2K the grades just dropped 👀 #NBA2KTop100 pic.twitter.com/eSk92OA16d
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) August 22, 2024
The most recent ratings show some discrepancies from the official rankings made official in an April update to NBA 2K24. Banchero was ranked 88th overall heading into the Magic’s playoff series against 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 playoff debut.
Considering the Magic’s All-Star forward for a top-20 ranking heading into the season, game developers and scoring experts are confident in Banchero’s continued success. His closest comparators are established stars – Atlanta’s Trae Young, Miami’s Jimmy Butler and 76ers newcomer Paul George, to name a few.
Wagner also gets a one-point bump in his starting rating this year over last season. The 86 starting rating may be a vote of confidence from the game’s decision-makers, as Wagner’s shooting struggles and mistakes in the playoffs aren’t representative of his caliber.
The Magic certainly don’t think so, having signed him to a five-year, $224 million contract extension that kicks in at the start of the 2025-26 season. But for what Wagner does at his age (he turns 23 on Aug. 27), a top-50 grade is justifiable and still offers plenty of room to grow. Wagner’s 86 overall grade 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 bit higher than Toronto’s Scottie Barnes and Houston’s Alpren Sengun.
Suggs’ rating drops two points overall from his April update, when he entered the playoffs with an 84 overall rating. Game developers are potentially wondering whether the former Gonzaga product and fourth-year guard can maintain the leaps forward his game has made into the 2023-24 season.
Suggs shares similar ratings to Oklahoma City’s Alex Caruso, Cleveland’s Darius Garland and New Orleans’ Herb Jones, and is one point higher than Toronto’s Immanuel Quickley and Chicago’s Coby White.
Suggs is expected to sign a new contract and it will be interesting to see where he and the Magic stand in terms of numerical figure that each party deems appropriate.
Other notables…
Full ratings for all players in the game have not yet been confirmed by NBA 2K. Once they are, this story will be updated.
