Is Paolo Banchero, Just 21, Already on Track to Join Basketball's Most Prestigious Club?

ORLANDO — The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inducted its 13-member 2024 class on Sunday night.

The Springfield, Mass., hoops haven serves as a place to forever honor the careers and contributions of basketball's greatest players, coaches, executives, and commentators. A Hall of Fame selection is among the measures that determine whose legacy transcends generations when their time in and around the game is up.

Naturally, part of the weekend conversation turns to which players will be next.

On Sunday, Bleacher Report listed a number of current players who have the best case to be future Hall of Famers. The article laid out the case for Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero – the second-youngest player on the list to Victor Wembanyama.

"Paolo Banchero is just two years into his professional career, although he certainly looks like a future Hall of Famer to this point. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 draft, he followed up his Rookie of the Year campaign with an All-Star nod and a trip to the playoffs in his sophomore season. Once again projected to be the centerpiece of the Orlando Magic offense, Banchero already has few offensive weaknesses and is extremely skilled and mobile for his 6-foot-10, 250-pound frame. Expect another All-Star season and a step closer to reaching the Hall one day."Greg Swartz, Bleacher Report

Banchero's CV includes being the Magic's No. 1 overall draft selection in 2022, then winning the NBA's Rookie of the Year award in the ensuing season.

The former Duke Blue Devil followed up that debut with an All-Star campaign — the first by a Magic player since Nikola Vucevic in 2020-21.

Banchero also led the Magic to a 47-win season and his team's first playoff appearance in four years. He led the team in points, rebounds and assists through the regular season – becoming the youngest player in NBA history (21 years old) to accomplish such a feat.

This year, Banchero has made it clear that his expectations for himself and his team are higher. Orlando's do-it-all forward not only has eyes on a playoff series victory, but multiple of them, and expects his team to be in contention at the top of the league.

At the Magic's practice on Saturday, he mentioned that the game is still slowing for him and he's still discovering ways to improve his game as defenses continue to make their game plans against him more complex.

Should he continue to take leaps forward with his game and sustain them, as well as finding more team success with Orlando in the future, Banchero could be on a one-way path to Springfield.