Latest news with #JeffWeltman
National Post
08-07-2025
- Business
- National Post
Paolo Banchero signs the richest contract in Orlando Magic history
Article content Paolo Banchero has checked a lot of boxes since joining the Orlando Magic. Article content Won rookie of the year, been an All-Star, helped the team to the playoffs twice. Article content Article content And now, the Magic are betting on there being more — much more. Article content Banchero has signed the richest contract in Magic history, the team announced Monday night. The five-year extension is worth $239 million and could reach about $287 million should he become eligible for a supermax deal, a person with knowledge of the agreement said. Article content The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the terms were not revealed by either Banchero or the Magic. ESPN, which first reported the agreement, said it also included a player option for the final year. Article content 'We are thrilled to keep Paolo in a Magic uniform for years to come,' Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said. 'At just 22, he has won NBA rookie of the year, been named an NBA All-Star and is widely regarded as one of our league's brightest young stars. This commitment reflects our belief in Paolo's talent, character and desire to win at the highest level. It also reflects Paolo's belief in our organization, our fans and the city of Orlando. We are excited to continue this journey together.' Article content The agreement means the Magic have four players — Banchero, Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs and the newly acquired Desmond Bane _ under contract for the next four seasons. And in the cases of Banchero, Wagner and Suggs, the terms extend out at least five seasons. Article content Banchero was the rookie of the year in 2022-23, living up to his billing after being the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NBA draft. He was an All-Star in his second season and was well on his way to that again last season before an early-season oblique injury. Article content He finished the season averaging 25.9 points and 7.5 rebounds, both career highs, and led the Magic to the playoffs for a second consecutive year. Article content He'll play the final year of his rookie deal this season, at about $15.3 million. His salary — depending on whether the supermax provisions are met or not — would then jump to either around $41 million or $49 million for 2026-27, when the extension kicks in. Article content The contract tops the $224 million extension that Wagner signed last summer to stay with the Magic. That was a team record at the time, though it was expected then that Banchero's next deal with the Magic would surpass it. Article content
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Orlando Magic sign guard Tyus Jones
The Orlando Magic have signed free agent guard Tyus Jones, the team announced Sunday. Last season, he played 81 games with Phoenix, averaging 10.2 points, 5.3 assists, and 2.4 rebounds per game. 'We are excited to welcome Tyus (Jones) to the Orlando Magic family,' said Jeff Weltman, President of Basketball Operations. 'He is the ultimate pro, who will bring to our team a blend of IQ, playmaking and shooting.' Advertisement Jones ranked second in the NBA in assists-to-turnover ratio last season. He has led the league in this category for six consecutive seasons, setting a league record. Originally drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2015, Jones has played for several teams, including the Minnesota Timberwolves, Memphis Grizzlies, Washington Wizards, and Phoenix Suns. Over his career, he has averaged 7.7 points, 4.4 assists, and 2.0 rebounds per game. Jones will wear number 2 with the Orlando Magic. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
USA Today
27-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Frenchman Noah Penda credits past experience for being 'ready' to join the Magic
Jeff Weltman: Noah (Penda) is a very unique player. A very good ballhandler, very good passer and an excellent defender. When we first saw him, he struck us on one of our first trips to Europe as a guy to flag for the rest of the is 6-7, with a 7-foot wingspan. ORLANDO, Fla. -- After playing professionally for the past three years, Noah Penda believes he is ready to make the jump to the United States and contribute to the Orlando Magic. Penda, born in Paris, was selected with the 32nd pick in the 2025 NBA draft on Thursday, following a productive season with Le Mans Sarthe in the LNB Élite, the top league in France. He was one of 13 European players drafted this year, including a record six from France. The 6-foot-7 forward was named the LNB Pro A Best Young Player last season, averaging 10.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.4 steals on 44.7% shooting from the field in 30 games. He ranked fourth in the league during the regular season in steals and 13th in rebounding. Prior to joining Le Mans, Penda played two years for JA Vichy of the LNB Pro B league, the second division of French basketball. He was the 2023-24 LNB Pro B Best Young Player, posting averages of 9.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.25 steals in 36 games. "Noah is a very unique player," Magic president Jeff Weltman said. "He is exceptionally skilled. (He is) a very good ballhandler, passer and an excellent defender, so he is kind of a unique player. When we first saw him, he struck us on one of our first trips to Europe this year as a guy to flag for the rest of the season, so we have been tracking him pretty closely." Orlando entered Thursday with the 46th and 57th picks, respectively. To select Penda, who was considered a possible late first-round pick, Weltman & Co. knew they needed to move up, so the team sent their two second-round picks, along with future selections in 2026 and 2027, to acquire the draft rights to Penda from the Boston Celtics. The move was seen as aggressive by some, considering the team has seldom used second-round picks to select players. However, with the group attempting to position itself to win now, the front office identified Penda as a player who can step in and help achieve that goal. "I think I'm just ready to be on an NBA court just by the fact that I play defense on multiple positions and I don't (make) a lot of mistakes on offense," Penda said. "I think things are going to evolve, and I'm going to be able to do a lot more with the way Americans work." Penda was viewed as one of the top international prospects this year, thanks to his scoring, versatility on the defensive end of the court and size at 242 pounds. He also intrigued the organization with his nearly 7-foot wingspan. The Magic, who ranked second in defensive rating last season, believe he can provide coach Jamahl Mosley with yet another perimeter defender who can switch positions and impact games at a high level, with his length, activity and IQ. "Just watching him and seeing how he has played, his physical stature, the IQ (and) the ability to guard multiple positions," Mosley said of Penda. "Sitting in that realm, for us right now, the switchability, I think, sits a lot on the forefront for us." The players have arrived 🪄 In addition to playing for Le Mans, Penda represented his country in the 2024 FIBA U20 EuroBasket. He helped the Frenchmen to the gold medal, averaging 11.7 points, 8.6 rebounds, three assists and 1.7 steals on 56.3% shooting from 3-point range in seven games. Penda will lean on that prior experience to help the Magic, who will enter next season as one of the favorites to win the Eastern Conference. He is confident he can contribute at a high level and is grateful the organization was aggressive in acquiring him on Thursday. "I think it is a reward of all of the work I've been putting in," Penda said. "I feel like it is really a mark of trust that the organization is putting in me and faith. I'm just really glad to be in that position where I know that people are trusting me for the future."
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Magic President Excited for French NBA Rookie
Magic President Excited for French NBA Rookie originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Orlando Magic used their No. 32 pick to draft French forward Noah Penda on Thursday. Unlike the other draft prospects, Penda is a 20-year-old professional basketball player who played for two professional basketball leagues. The Magic traded picks Nos. 46, 57 and a 2026 second-round pick and a 2027 second-round pick to the Boston Celtics. Advertisement At 6-foot-8, there's an expectation that Penda will be part of Orlando's rotation in the 2025-26 season. The young forward is raw and talented and is considered to be a "Swiss army knife." Many believe the French basketball player has the potential to be a decent basketball player as he develops in the NBA. Orlando Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman speaks during a press Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images After Orlando drafted the young forward, team president Jeff Weltman revealed that Penda was already on their radar before. During their trips in Europe, Weltman and the Magic saw the potential for the youngster to be a part of their organization. "Noah is a very unique player," Weltman said. "He's 6-7 plus, [with a] 7-foot wingspan, probably about 250 [pounds]. He is exceptionally skilled. A very good ballhandler, very good passer and an excellent defender. He's kind of a unique player. When we first saw him, he struck us on one of our first trips to Europe as a guy to flag for the rest of the season." Weltman also spoke highly of Penda's development in France after playing professional basketball for three years. Advertisement "He is just a worker and has gotten better and better. He has improved his body, and as he has done that, he has become one of the elite players in the league at 20," he added. Last season, he played for Le Mans Sarthe Basket and appeared in 29 games. He averaged 10.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists. The Magic value his addition to the squad as they try to contend for the NBA title next season. Related: Suns, Magic Reportedly Tried Trading for Cavaliers Star This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Five things to know about new Magic guard Desmond Bane
When introducing Desmond Bane this past week, Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman described him as 'a player you would design if you could start from scratch.' Weltman praised Bane for his impact on and off the court, adding that he 'checks every box' for Orlando. Advertisement And the Magic paid plenty in order to acquire Bane from the Grizzlies. Orlando sent Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony and multiple future first-round picks to Memphis. But there's more than meets the eye when it comes to Bane, who averaged 19.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.2 steals during his fifth season in the NBA. Here are five things to know about the newest member of the Magic. 1. Bane can drain 'em The 6-foot-5 guard became the sixth-fastest player in NBA history to reach 500 3-pointers made, according to How did he accomplish such a feat? Bane didn't waste time finding his footing from the beyond the arc once he entered the league. Advertisement He became the third qualified player in league history to shoot at least 43% from 3-point range in each of his first two seasons, joining Stephen Curry and Anthony Morrow. 2. More than a 3-point specialist Weltman has praised Bane's ability as a playmaker and shot creation beyond just his 3-point skillset. In 2023-24, Bane averaged 5.5 assists and dropped off only slightly this past season at 5.3 assists. For perspective, the Magic have only had one player the past two years combined to average above 5 assists on a nightly basis. Paolo Banchero averaged 5.4 two years ago but fell to 4.8 this past season. Advertisement Bane was one of 14 players in the league to average at least 19 points, at least 5 assists and at least 5 rebounds per game and appear in at least 50 contests during the 2024-25 regular season, according to 3. Made mark on Memphis Any player who spends five years with one organization is bound to leave his name in the record books, and that's true for Bane with the Grizzlies. Bane departs as the franchise's all-time leader in free throw percentage (88.3%), third in 3-pointers made (812) and fourth in 3-point field goal percentage (41%), according to Memphis. He holds the Grizzlies' single-season franchise records for 3-pointers made (228 in 2021-22) and free throw percentage (90.3% the same season). 4. Effort goes beyond the court Last October, Bane launched an AAU program in his home state of Indiana that's run by his non-profit organization. Advertisement The team — which is called 'Baneville Academy' — is for 7th- and 8th-grade boys, and it recently captured a Midwest Spring Circuit championship. Bane also wants to get to know Orlando on a local level. 'I want to get out in the community,' he said recently. 'I felt like I did a decent job of that in Memphis, and it changes your perspective on it. You've got to turn this place into home like I want to be able to go out to the grocery store and see people that I know and have genuine relationships with them. 'So they're going to get loyalty [and] honesty from me from the start,' he added about Magic fans. 5. He's a Horned Frog Before Bane was drafted 30th overall in 2020, Bane spent four years at TCU in the Big 12. Advertisement As a senior, he averaged 16.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists during 36 minutes in 32 games. That year, he was the only player to rank in the top 10 in the Big 12 in points, rebounds and assists. Bane finished his collegiate career ranked third in school history in scoring (1,784 points), third in field goals made (659), first in 3-pointers made (249) and fifth in 3-point percentage (43.3), according to the school. Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@
