Tristan da Silva Was 'Intersection' Of Need, Best Player Available for Magic

While many teams balance the decision to take the player that addresses one of their needs or is the best player available in the NBA Draft, Tristan da Silva fit both for the Orlando Magic.

Colorado Buffaloes forward Tristan da Silva (23) controls the ball as Arizona Wildcats guard Kylan Boswell (4) guards him. / Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

ORLANDO — For many teams, the balance of deciding between drafting a player who addresses their most pressing needs or just taking the best one available is difficult to strike.

Rarely is a team able to address both with a single player, especially when they're picking from outside the lottery. With No. 18 overall pick Tristan da Silva, Orlando Magic President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman believes his team found that player who was among the best available and can add some much-needed juice to an offense that ranked in the bottom-10 in many categories.

"He's right at that intersection," Weltman said. "The pundits would say he's a plug-and-play guy. Obviously, he's going to have to come in, he's going to have to earn what he eats and he's going to have to be a rookie and go through that. His ability to be connected to bring the team together [and] to lift others up is unique."

Da Silva averaged 16 points per game and made nearly 40 percent of his 3-pointers in his senior season at Colorado. The 6-foot-8 Brazilian-German forward also elevated his game when it mattered most, averaging 18 points per game and shooting 56.3 percent on his 3-point attempts in the NCAA Tournament. Across his four-year career with the Buffaloes, da Silva made the All-Pac-12 team twice and the All-Tournament team in his final collegiate season.

Along with the impact that da Silva's ability to shoot and space the floor can have for Orlando, Weltman believes there are other parts to his game that checked multiple boxes.

"Tristan is a very unique player," Weltman said. "He's exceptionally skilled. He's one of the highest-IQ players in this draft and maybe in a lot of drafts recently. His shooting will open the floor up, his skill level will create angles, he's great off the ball, and we had a lot of experience with him in our visits. We met with him in Chicago, we had a great visit here, and we're just very excited to add him to our team."

While da Silva's offensive skillset and experience could pave the way toward early playing time, Magic coach Jamahl Mosley noted the challenge that lies ahead and how the Colorado forward could be more than up to the task.

"He's going to come in [and] be willing to earn whatever minutes [are] given," Mosley said. "Whatever time he's given, there is a learning curve and he'll have to go through that, but being older and having the experience of playing in big games, being in the tournament and playing for a great coach, I think he has an understanding of what it takes to develop and keep winning habits that we're growing with here."

Orlando has depth at the forward position, including second-year All-Star Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. Banchero and Wagner helped pace a 47-win season that earned the Magic their first playoff berth since 2020. Orlando also has Jonathan Isaac, who anchored a defense that was among the NBA's elite, ranking fourth in points allowed per game and second in defensive rating.

With those pieces already in place and Orlando poised to build on its best season in over a decade, da Silva is ready to fit in and do what got him to this point.

"Making sure I'm a good fit for the team," da Silva said. "I'm the one trying to come in and make sure I can contribute so I'm going to be playing high IQ basketball. I'm going to do the stuff I know I can do at a high level and work every day."

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• MAGIC BOSSES MET THEIR MATCH: Orlando Magic President Jeff Weltman said first-round pick Tristan da Silva "is a very unique player. He's exceptionally skilled. He's one of the highest-IQ players in this draft." CLICK HERE
• TRISTAN DA SILVA A GOOD FIT FOR MAGIC: The Orlando Magic's selection of Tristan da Silva earned high grades from NBA insiders. CLICK HERE
• DA SILVA REVEALS WHAT HE ADDS TO MAGIC: Da Silva is confident he'll play good basketball for the Magic in his rookie season. CLICK HERE
• MAGIC TARGETING KLAY THOMPSON & KCP?: With just over $50 million in cap space, the Orlando Magic may have their sights on Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Klay Thompson when free agency begins on Sunday. CLICK HERE