After signing Paolo Banchero to a max extension, Orlando Magic president Jeff Weltman has silenced his critics this offseason with a series of bold moves. Here is why the Magic Faithful are so optimistic about hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy for the first time in franchise history.
Orlando Magic President Assembles His Championship
Successful NBA teams are put together like jigsaw puzzles. Identify your cornerstones, build your frame, and compose the pieces to reveal the finished product. Jeff Weltman has just constructed a work of art at breakneck speed.
First, he traded Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Cole Anthony to Memphis for lockdown guard Desmond Bane. The Magic, ranked 27th in the league in offense last season, were desperate for a floor spacer and 3-point threat. Before the off-season starter pistol was even fired, the Magic were in the lead.
When the draft arrived a short time after, Weltman was hitting his stride. He chose guard Jase Richardson—son of retired Magic player Jason Richardson—in the first round. Orlando then made a deal with Boston to claim 6’8″ forward Noah Penda in the second round. Analysts praised the moves. Both players have demonstrated significant potential to become key rotational pieces.
In free agency, Orlando sprinted ahead, signing Tyus Jones to a one-year contract, a move the fan base had been feverishly soliciting to fix the team’s shooting stagnation. When asked about the signing during a recent press conference, Weltman held Jones in high esteem.
“There are a lot more teams than there are [available] players,” he said. “It’s really not who the teams want, it’s who the players want. I’m very happy that Tyus chose us. He saw the fit.”
Paolo Banchero Locked In For a Championship Run
On July 7th, Weltman’s franchise officially announced they had finalized superstar Paolo Banchero’s max extension, agreeing to a 5-year, $239 million deal that keeps him in the City Beautiful until 2030 (with a player-option in 2030-31). The deal elevates to a supermax payout should Banchero make an All-NBA team or achieve MVP or Defensive POTY in 2026. Despite missing 34 games with a rare oblique injury, the 6’10” forward put up career-highs in points (25.9), rebounds (7.5) and assists (4.8). He is the linchpin of Orlando’s young core that includes Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs.
Moe Wagner Returns to Dominate in the East
Last week, Orlando also announced they had re-signed center Moritz Wagner on a one-year, $5 million contract. Wagner—a fan favorite energizer off the bench—suffered an ACL tear in December that sidelined him for the remainder of the season. Declining his team option, Weltman correctly gambled that Wagner would stay committed to Orlando.
“I’m thankful that Moe chose us,” he said of the German Hammer. “He’s an important part of our team. He reinvested in us”. Doctors have cleared him to participate in training camp and he is expected to ease back into rotation around Christmas.
Weltman Makes Best Offseason Moves in Magic History
Although the Magic have made the playoffs in each of the last two seasons—despite their shooting woes and injuries—consecutive first-round exits had Weltman in the hot seat. Fans were certain that the front office would make moves to patch the holes in their offense. Even with Suggs and Wagner injured and Caldwell-Pope continuing his disappointing shooting, February 6th came and went with no announcements. As a result, he was viewed by many as too hesitant to take action, content instead to wait and see what his core was capable of.
In the span of four weeks, those concerns are in the distant past. The additions of Bane and Jones have reinvigorated the back court. Penda and Richardson have their chances to earn rotation spots playing in the summer league. God Shammgod and Joe Prunty have arrived in Orlando to fortify the coaching staff. Banchero, bag in hand, is set to thrive, and Moe Wagner is animated to return. Jeff Weltman has assembled his puzzle, and fans are excited to see the finished product.
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