Magic Top Pick da Silva Impresses Teammates in NBA Summer League Prep

Orlando Magic teammates Anthony Black and Jett Howard appreciate Tristan da Silva's basketball IQ and his willingness to communicate.

Colorado Buffaloes forward Tristan da Silva (23) sets the offense during the second half against the Marquette Golden Eagles at Gainbridge FieldHouse. / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

ORLANDO — It hasn't taken long for Tristan da Silva, the Orlando Magic's first-round draft pick, to make a strong first impression.

da Silva, the 6-foot-8 forward from Germany, is set to participate in the NBA 2K25 Summer League, which kicks off Friday in Las Vegas. Through two practices, da Silva has caught the attention of 2023 first-round pick Jett Howard.

"He's amazing," Howard said of da Silva on Monday. "He's killing it so far. You can tell he's a little older. He carries himself that way."

da Silva, 23, played four seasons at Colorado and was a three-year starter. He earned All-Pac 12 honors twice and took his play to another level in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, averaging 18 points a game and making 56 percent of his 3-pointers across three games.

For Anthony Black, who appeared in 69 games and started 33 last season for Orlando, da Silva's knowledge and ability to connect with his teammates have stood out.

"He's a really good teammate," Black said. "Really learning how to play with and without the ball. [He] has a good IQ and I'm ready to play with him going forward and especially in the Summer League."

With the Summer League on the horizon, da Silva believes improving on that collaboration will be imperative as they prepare for the upcoming season.

"That's huge," da Silva said. "I could sense on the teams that I've been on that the more chemistry we have, the better the team was. I feel like that's at every level of basketball."

da Silva, Black and Howard will be coached by Lionel Chalmers on the Magic's Summer League team. Chalmers, who has been an assistant for Orlando since 2019, also has been impressed by what he's seen out of da Silva thus far.

"I think he's a very good player," Chalmers said. "I think he's very smart and he's willing to adjust to whatever's going on. I think he's going to be very good."

Orlando kicks off their Summer League slate on Friday when it faces the Cleveland Cavaliers at 4 p.m. ET at The Pavilion.

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