Orlando, FL — The Orlando Magic went into the 2024 NBA Draft not having a lottery pick for the first time in four years, and this was the furthest back they’ve selected in the first round since 2012 when they drafted Andrew Nicholson at 19 overall.
Jeff Weltman and the entire Magic front office have done a phenomenal job the last few years of identifying talent in the draft and selecting the right players to build this core. Weltman is not only seeking to bring in ‘high character kids’ but also players who can bring shooting, skill, IQ, and positional size. The Magic struck gold yet again at 18 overall when they drafted Tristan da Silva from the University of Colorado.
“To check all four of those boxes with the 18th pick is a good day’s work for us,” Jeff Weltman on selecting Tristan da Silva. “Tristan is a very unique player, he’s exceptionally skilled, and he’s one of the highest IQ players I think in this draft.”
Da Silva who stands about 6-foot-9 with nearly a 7-foot wingspan, fits the mold and character that Jeff Weltman and Jamahl Molsey want on their team. Da Silva at 23 years of age has a ton of experience playing four years of collegiate basketball, helping lead the Buffaloes to the big dance in March Madness, as it led to him receiving Second Team All-Pac 12 honors this past season.
“You guys know, we bring in people and players,” Jeff Weltman on da Silva’s character. “He’s just a high character kid, who’s about the right stuff, he’s serious, he’s committed—This is one of the most selfless players you’ll ever find, and I think that’s who he’s gonna be for our team on and off the court.”
Da Silva didn’t have the easiest path to Colorado before embarking on his basketball journey in America. As a Brazilian-German born and raised in Munich, Germany it was a significantly harder process for da Silva to get scouted and recruited to play collegiate ball overseas.
Head Coach of the Colorado Buffaloes Tad Boyle coached Oscar da Silva the older brother of Tristan, and was immediately infatuated with Tristan due to his frame and size, despite not being able to see him play. Despite Tristan’s distance and untapped potential, Tad Boyle offered him a scholarship after having seen enough of him play, and he was viewed as a project player in terms of his development.
Tristan appeared in 24 games his Freshman year, but never got the opportunity to start. In his final three years of college, he started in 98 of 100 games he played in, and developed into a first-round talent in his senior year.
In 2023-24 for the Buffaloes da Silva put together a career-high season across the board in points (16.0), rebounds (5.1), and assists (2.4). Da Silva shot 49.3% from the floor on 11.8 attempts per game, and 39.5% from behind the arch.
Down the final stretch of the season, we began to see da Silva coming into his own over the final fifteen games where he averaged 17 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2 assists per game. In the first round of March Madness da Silva began to gain more national attention as he helped lead the Buffaloes to a 102-100 victory over the Florida Gators as he recorded 17 points, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds. You could continue to see flashes of a versatile wing who can defend multiple positions, get downhill, play unselfishly within a system, and help space the floor.
With an already-established German duo of Franz and Mo Wagner both being high-level impact players on the Magic, they can help Tristan da Silva make the transition to Orlando feel a bit more like home. Both Mo and Franz represented team Germany last summer helping lead the country to win the Fiba Basketball World Cup in 2023.
I asked Tristan about the German connection and what he knew about both Franz and Mo Wagner and he stated:
“It’s funny because one of my good friends that I played with in Munich, is one of their best friends—It’s great to kinda join that group, makes it feel a little more homey, and I’ve already been in contact with both of them. So I’m super excited to get out there.”
With the importance of versatile wings in the modern NBA and especially in the Eastern Conference, da Silva is going to be an important developmental piece alongside three very talented and incredible wings Paolo Banchero, Jonathan Issac, and Franz Wagner.
Widely viewed as one of the highest IQ players and best cutters in this class, Tristan da Silva should be a seamless fit into this Orlando Magic culture and identity both on and off the court.
