5 Young players the Orlando Magic should develop, 3 to give up on
By Tyler Watts
The Orlando Magic won 47 regular season games, which was their most since 2011. It was enough to end their three-year playoff drought and made everyone excited about their future. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner led the way on their rookie contracts.
They are building something special and added a key piece in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope this offseason. The Magic have a proven 3-and-D wing with championship experience to lead their young roster. KCP will sink open shots and play stout perimeter defense. Orlando will benefit from internal growth and hopes Caldwell-Pope is the missing piece in making a deep playoff run for the first time since 2010.
The Magic have eight players on their depth chart under 25 years old and need multiple players to step up to be in serious contention. The Eastern Conference improved with the Knicks trading for Mikal Bridges and Philadelphia signing Paul George. Orlando believes they are in that mix with growth, but who should the franchise be focused on developing?
Develop: Tristan da Silva
The Magic selected da Silva with the 18th overall pick in the 2024 draft. The 6’8 wing played four years of college basketball and should be NBA-ready quickly.
Fans saw his potential in the Las Vegas summer league. Da Silva averaged 17.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.3 steals in 26.8 minutes per game. He only played in three contests, but shot 17 of 28 from the field and made ten of his 17 3-point tries. The 23-year-old shined in Sin City and could quickly make an impact on the Magic.
Tristan da Silva is a plus-shooter with size and length. The Orlando Magic were last in 3-pointers made and 24th in 3-point percentage last season. They need someone with the rookie’s skill set and should take their time developing him.