Rumors

Orlando made some changes to its bench this past offseason … changes that, league sources say, came at the urging of lead executive Jeff Weltman. The most notable newcomer: Well-traveled assistant and former Bucks and Hawks interim coach Joe Prunty as Mosley's new No. 1 assistant.

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The Magic are targeting opening night for Jalen Suggs to make his regular season return to the court, according to president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman. Suggs, who is recovering from a left knee trochlea cartilage tear, last played for Orlando on Jan. 25 and it was his lone appearance after Jan. 3. For the whole season, he appeared in a career-low 35 games.

Orlando Sentinel

“Moe’s timeline is different,” Weltman said. “He’s further away. You guys know there’ve been unfortunately a series of ACLs in the last decade of the NBA and an associated timeline with that. But you guys also know Moe Wagner. So, he’s not your normal guy. “He’s attacking it. and we’re hopeful he can beat that timeline,” Weltman added. “What that looks like exactly is too soon to say.”

Orlando Sentinel

Anthony, who was drafted by Orlando 15th overall in 2020, couldn’t believe what happened when Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman called him. “I remember my agent called me; I remember talking with Jeff, and I was just like, ‘Dang, is this real?'” the 6-foot-2 guard said. “I remember that whole week; it was just crazy. “I’ve been here five years, haven’t played for another team, was drafted here, so it’s something for me that definitely is bittersweet and I’m going to miss it.”

Orlando Sentinel

Sirius XM NBA: “We’re not trying to win the East, we want to win the NBA.” @Orlando Magic President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman talks about Orlando’s title aspirations with @darthamin, @sarahkustok, & @jumpshot8

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The Orlando Magic have signed free agent guard Tyus Jones, President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman announced today. Per team policy, terms of the deal are not disclosed. “We are excited to welcome Tyus (Jones) to the Orlando Magic family,” said Weltman. “He is the ultimate pro, who will bring to our team a blend of IQ, playmaking and shooting. Known for his character and leadership, Tyus will be a tremendous mentor to our young core.”

NBA.com

“The interesting thing about Jase is for a guy who really carried a huge part of their offense and had to generate shots for himself and for others, [he made] next to no mistakes,” Weltman said. “The guy is a very easy ball-mover, he’s a quick decision-maker, he’s got a crafty way to finish around the rim — being lefty helps a little bit, probably — and he just really loves basketball. “You don’t play for Tom Izzo if you don’t rebound and defend, so he’s a fighter,” the Magic executive added. “All of those things rolled in [together] and that’s why we’re excited about him.”

Orlando Sentinel

Cody Taylor: Jeff Weltman on the Magic drafting Jase Richardson at 25: We actually brought him in to look at with the 16th pick. You never know how these drafts are going to go and we had our fingers crossed that he could get to our range. pic.x.com/VD4SQ4gZj0

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Sirius XM NBA: “He’s relentless man, he’s physical, he’s tough, he’s smart.” Magic President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman shares what Desmond Bane will bring to Orlando with @TheFrankIsola & @Scalabrine pic.x.com/q1NuGluuh8

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“There aren’t too many people that I think the league regards as highly in their locker room, in their organization [and] in practice as Desmond Bane,” Weltman said. “He is, by all accounts, one of those rare guys that is going to, I believe, impact our team in every possible way.”

Orlando Sentinel

Jason Beede: #Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman was asked about the multiple future 1st round picks used to land Desmond Bane and their value: Jeff Weltman on the amount of future picks used to acquire Desmond Bane: "That's a great question. Because obviously we don't know what the value of those picks are, right? They're future picks and that's up to us to determine what the value of those picks are. Obviously, the one we do know is year, No. 16, and clearly part of us taking the temperature of this trade was our feelings about No. 16. So, we have to bake that into how we look at the overall package. And then going forward, three of the remaining picks are under our control. We feel that we're betting on ourselves. We feel like we're going to be a good team. We feel that the other unique thing about a guy like Des being available to obtain in a trade is the fact that he's just about to turn 27, so if we are a good team then we hope to be a good team for a while. Because our age profile is that our most-highly paid, core four players are ages 23-27. Hopefully we can come to an agreement with Paolo [Banchero] this summer, we'll be having those conversations shortly, and have this group together for a long time wearing Magic uniforms. So, that will determine what the value of those picks are, and some of this is what the NBA is about. It's betting on yourself. It's putting pressure on yourself and elevating your standard. I will say that one of the unique things about this trade when you think about the caliber of the player that Desmond Bane is, at the age that he's at, and with the contract control that you have, is that we gave up none of our own core pieces. So, this was by definition going to be a draft capital trade."

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Jason Beede: In non-trade talk, #Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said Jalen Suggs and Moe Wagner are “progressing right on time and they’re both doing really well.” “You guys know what kind of relentless workers they are,” Weltman said when asked by @philiprr_OMD. pic.x.com/Z3tHDaKdYb

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Cody Taylor: Jeff Weltman on Desmond Bane: We valued him very highly for a while. There are a few guys in the league that if they become available, you're going to be aggressive. ... I honestly didn't expect him to be available, but when we learned about that, we made it a priority for us.

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Jason Beede: We spoke about a lot with Jeff Weltman including Desmond Bane, what’s next for the #Magic and the draft. Quick detail to share: Weltman said he and Jamahl Mosley FaceTimed with Bane on Sunday and Bane is “really excited.” Bane was on vacation in Florida when the trade happened.

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