Orlando Magic's aggressive 2nd-round trade makes crystal clear statement

Orlando Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman has a reputation for passing on the second round.

He has added a few second-round picks over the years -- Caleb Houstan faces a critical team option this offseason and was a contributor last season -- but for the most part, the Magic have had a long run of giving away second-round picks.

It is one of the criticisms fans have had for Weltman. He tends to let these critical opportunities to add talent and add to the roster pass by as the team sticks to its guns and the players on its roster.

That whole philosophy has changed this year.

The Orlando Magic kicked off the offseason with their first trade to acquire a player they intended to keep since grabbing Bol Bol from the Boston Celtics in 2022. The Desmond Bane trade signaled the team was going all-in to win in the short term.

That trade mindset arrived early in the second round of the NBA Draft. They aggressively pursued the player they wanted in the second round.

Jeff Weltman continued his wheeling and dealing, acquiring Noah Penda (the No. 32 pick) for their two second-round picks in the 2025 Draft (No. 46 and 57) and a 2026 and 2027 second-round pick. The trade was first reported on the ESPN broadcast by Shams Charania and confirmed to Orlando Magic Daily by a league source.

Penda may not be a win-now player. But this is a win-now move. This is another sign the Magic are aggressively collecting talent to make them a more versatile team and adding top-end talent to add depth to the roster.

Noah Penda is a top prospect in the second round

Noah Penda had late-first and early second-round projections. He is considered an athletic wing with good length and defensive instincts. He fits the Magic's typical style of long and athletic forwards.

Penda measured at the NBA Draft Combine at 6-foot-7.25 without shoes and a 6-foot-11.5 wingspan.

Penda averaged 10.2 points per game and 5.1 rebounds per game in 26.9 minutes per game for Le Mans Sarthe in France's LNB Elite. He shot only 30.4 percent from three and 69.3 percent from the foul line.

That is very much not a win-now player. He will have to improve on that end to stick in the NBA. But Penda fits the Magic's typical type to a tee.

He is an excellent defender with good instincts. And scouts say he makes quick decisions with the ball and can attack off the dribble. It just all needs to be refined.

Penda is the kind of player Magic fans have been used to seeing the team pick -- in both the good and the bad ways. So it is not a surprise this is the player the Magic would target.

At the very least, Orlando aggressively pursued a player who fit its type and the team felt would add to the group. The Magic went out and got him.

The Magic are operating under a different posture

And that is the posture that is different now. That is the biggest thing that has changed the offseason.

Instead of sitting back and waiting for the right players to fall to them -- the Orlando Magic still got Jase Richardson in the first round -- they have gone out and aggressively pursued players that fit their roster and improve the team.

It started with the acquisition of Desmond Bane a few weeks ago, adding one of the top shooters and shooting guards in the league and seemingly vaulting the Magic into contention overnight. They did that again in the second round on Thursday, albeit on a much smaller scale.

Penda is still a high-upside swing. He is still a player who has to improve and has a lot of work. The ESPN broadcast reported that the Magic plan to keep him on the roster and have him available for this team that is suddenly contending. Penda could still find some time in the G-League if he needs the minutes. That would not be shocking.

But the biggest takeaway from the offseason is that the Magic are going to be aggressive. They are pushing their chips in and willing to go for it now.

Orlando is not sitting back anymore.