ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando Magic selected Colorado's Tristan Da Silva with the No. 18 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft on Wednesday night.
On the board in @OrlandoMagic HQ: No. 18 Tristan da Silva pic.twitter.com/eFYLSArvlz
— Danielle Stein (@Danielle_Stein9) June 27, 2024
Da Silva, 23, played four seasons with the Buffaloes, averaging 16 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.15 steals in his senior season. He shot 39.5% (64-162) from 3-point range and 83.5% (86-103) at the free-throw line and was an All Pac-12 second-team selection.
He averaged 11.7 points and 3.8 rebounds during his college career and also was named to the All Pac-12 first team as a junior.
Da Silva also is a quality team defender, according to some NBA analysts.
Da Silva said he felt an "unbelievable amount of gratitude, and just pure joy," after being drafted.
The 6-foot-8, 217-pound forward brings shooting, positional size, basketball IQ and is highly skilled, Magic President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman told the media after the selection.
I asked Jeff Weltman about the #Magic pre-draft process in identifying Tristan da Silva as a potential pick, and he nudged toward a smirking Jamahl Mosley, a fellow @CUBuffsMBB alum.
— Danielle Stein (@Danielle_Stein9) June 27, 2024
"It didn't hurt that Coach is a Buff and probably had some pretty good intel" pic.twitter.com/Xlnt6BeZ9j
Weltman said his years of experience are going to help Da Silva as he enters the NBA but that there's still a higher ceiling for him.
"I always say there's basketball IQ and then there's NBA IQ," Weltman said. "So he still has to go through that. But we're lucky that he kind of, like, is right at that intersection. So, he checked all those boxes. And you know, the pundits would say he's a plug-and-play guy. Whatever you want to make of that, 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, you know, be a rookie and go through that."
Gaining that experience was important to Da Silva.
He said it helped him "become a better player, in the sense where I know what I'm doing really well. I know what I am, you know. I know what I'm not. So, now I feel confident and ready to step into that next level."
He was born in Germany, has a Brazilian father and speaks five languages — German, Portuguese, Spanish, French and English. He played for Schwabing in the Regionalliga and with IBA Muenchen in the NBBL in Germany.
Da Silva said one of his best friends played basketball with Magic forward Franz Wagner and center/forward Moe Wagner.
"It's great to kind of join that group," Da Silva said. "It makes it feel a little bit more homey, and I've already been in contact with both of them, so (I'm) super excited to get out there."
Da Silva will be in Orlando at the AdventHealth Training Center on Friday for his first official introduction as an Orlando Magic rookie.
The Magic said Da Silva will wear No. 23 in Orlando.
In the second round on Thursday, Orlando held the No. 47 overall pick and drafted Antonio Reeves out of Kentucky.
However, the Magic traded his draft rights to the New Orleans Pelicans, acquiring the unprotected rights to swap their own 2030 second-round draft pick and their own 2031 draft pick from New Orleans.
Since Weltman was hired by Orlando, the team has traded or sold off many of its second-round picks. Weltman has said he only wants to bring in new players when he can ensure they will be able to get playing time.
During the next eight drafts, the Magic have nine first-round picks and 13 second-round picks.