DETROIT — The Magic are declining guard-forward Jett Howard‘s fourth-year rookie club option worth $7.3 million in 2026-27, a league source told the Orlando Sentinel on Wednesday.

Howard will become an unrestricted free agent in the upcoming offseason after his third year in the league.

While Orlando declined Howard’s fourth-year rookie option, the team is exercising its fourth-year rookie option on guard Anthony Black and its third-year team option on forward Tristan da Silva, the Sentinel learned.

The Magic selected Black with the No. 6 pick in the 2023 draft, five spots ahead of Howard. The next year, they drafted da Silva at No.18 in the first round.

Although Black and Howard entered the league at the same time, their careers couldn’t have started more differently.  While Black saw the court immediately as a rookie to help fill guard depth at a time when the Magic dealt with an injury to former Magic guard Markelle Fultz, Howard spent majority of his first year with Osceola, the team’s G League affiliate.

During their second seasons last year, Black continued to solidify himself as a key piece of Orlando’s bench, averaging 9.4 points, 3 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.1 steals during 24.2 minutes per night in 78 games.

Howard earned more chances on the court and played in 60 contests, but he only averaged 11.7 minutes scoring 4.5 points with 1.2 rebounds per night.

Howard, who spent a year at Michigan before entering the draft, will be able to re-sign with the Magic as an unrestricted free agent, but won’t be able to earn more than the value of his declined rookie club option.

The decisions are all a part of the financial reality facing the Magic following the expensive extensions of Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs as well as the major addition of Desmond Bane.

Those four are set to make more than a combined $155 million for the 2026-27 season.

Although the choice to decline the fourth-year rookie option of Howard, who the Magic hoped would help mitigate their long-range shooting issues, was not an easy one to make, there are perhaps more tough decisions to come down the line as Orlando faces the first and second aprons of the league’s collective bargaining agreement.

Black’s option for the 2026-27 season is worth $10.1 million and da Silva’s $3.9 million.

Da Silva provided relief for the Magic as a rookie during an injury-riddled season that saw him help fill in for Banchero and later Franz Wagner. The Colorado product averaged 7.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists during 22 minutes per night across 74 games last season.

Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com