Noah Penda is back in Orlando with a lot more buzz around him than he had a year ago, and that matters for a Magic team that doesn’t have many easy ways to get better.
The Magic made a rare move to trade up in the second round last year to land him, betting on the kind of tools they value: versatility, strength, length and upside. That was always going to be a swing, and his rookie season looked like one. In 59 games, he averaged 3.8 points in 12.8 minutes a night, and there were plenty of stretches where he looked like the project everyone expected.
But even in limited minutes, Penda flashed the kind of hustle-game value that can sneakily swing a night. He had 13 points and 12 rebounds, including seven offensive boards, in an overtime win over the Utah Jazz, and followed that with 13 points and 11 rebounds, plus five offensive rebounds, in an overtime win over the Brooklyn Nets. Those are the plays that keep possessions alive and help a team survive the messy middle of games.
Now the conversation is shifting from “what is he?” to “how much can he grow?”
After a strong Summer League run, Penda went back to France to work, and reports say he returned leaner, with a better diet and a broader skill set. He is also said to have lost 20 pounds.
That kind of body transformation is the sort of thing teams notice, especially when it comes with visible confidence and new options on the floor.
Summer League was the first real hint that something had changed. In three games, Penda put up 45 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists, along with five steals and eight blocks.
He shot 14 for 25 from the field and 8 for 17 from three. More than the numbers, he looked comfortable doing more than just cleaning up plays.
He was pulling up from deep, putting the ball on the floor and attacking with a level of freedom that stood out.
There were turnovers, sure, but that came with the territory. He was being aggressive, testing the limits of what he could do. And that’s exactly why the Magic had reason to be encouraged.
Penda’s second NBA summer has the feel of a turning point. Around the league, that year between a rookie season and year two is often where a player starts to slow the game down and turn raw tools into real production. That seems to be the path Penda is trying to take.
He’s now in the mix for backup forward minutes, and the clearest competition appears to be Jonathan Isaac for the primary reserve power forward spot. Isaac brings veteran reliability and remains a strong defender, even with his offense having fallen off. But Penda has a real chance to press for time, especially if the work he’s put in carries over.
Last season, the Magic were understandably cautious with him in the playoffs. He played only 2:57 in Game 2.
He was still learning, still prone to rookie mistakes, still a little raw for that stage. None of that has changed the basic truth: there’s a lot we still don’t know about what Penda will become.
That’s also what makes him interesting.
He already showed enough in spurts to suggest he can help, even before he fully understands the NBA. If the summer gains stick, he could become the kind of bench piece who does more than fill minutes. He could win possessions, steady a lead, or give Orlando another layer of depth when it matters.
For a team looking for any edge it can find, that’s not a small thing.
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