ORLANDO - Tristan da Silva doesn’t need much time to spot what’s changing around the Magic.
Four days into training camp at the AdventHealth Training Center, the third-year forward said the group has already taken noticeable steps under new head coach Sean Sweeney and his staff. For da Silva, the tone of this camp has been defined by the same things over and over: intensity, detail and a willingness to be pushed.
Like several of his teammates, da Silva is experiencing his first NBA coaching change, and he called that adjustment part of the process. But the bigger picture has stayed the same.
He and the rest of the roster still want the work. They still want the coaching.
They still want to be challenged.
That mindset fits da Silva’s path so far. He’s had to adapt quickly before. As a rookie, instead of spending time in the G League, he was thrown right into the mix and played in 74 games for an injury-hit Magic team, starting 38 of them.
The 25-year-old, who was the 18th overall pick out of Colorado, has already banked real NBA experience. Now the focus is on sharpening what’s already there and turning it into a more complete version of himself.
That’s also the expectation from the coaching staff: grow inside the role he’s already been given. Da Silva said he keeps working through adversity and obstacles, and he remains open to coaching and teaching moments.
The production has moved up in steps. In 2024-25, his rookie season, da Silva averaged 7.2 points while shooting 41.2% from the floor and 33.5% from three. Last season, he played in 77 games and improved to 9.9 points per game, along with shooting 45% overall and 37.4% from beyond the arc.
That upward trend is carrying into camp, too. Da Silva said the Magic are already better than they were when camp opened, and he credited that to the work the entire group has put in.
There’s still plenty left to clean up, and da Silva knows the team has a long way to go. But he’s also seeing the growth take shape, both in himself and in the room around him.
In Other News...
Vucevics Orlando Return Puts One Big Magic Question In Focus
Nikola Vucevics return to Orlando has put a familiar face back in the middle of the franchises conversation, and it comes with some real context behind it. Before he signed, Vucevic discussed his expected role with new Magic head coach Sean Sweeney, a detail that suggests both sides understood this was about fit as much as nostalgia. He also made clear that his priorities are centered on team success, not on chasing individual milestones.
Even so, his place in Magic history is hard to ignore. Vucevic sits third on the teams all-time scoring list and first in field goals made, numbers that underscore how much he already means to the organization. Now the question is less about what he has done in Orlando and more about how this second stint will be defined, especially with the team trying to build something bigger than any single players record book. [Read more 🡒]
Magic Camp Competition Is Starting To Reveal Sean Sweeneys Identity
The Magic pushed through their fourth straight day of training camp work with a clear emphasis on defense, offense near the basket and isolation situations, a good early clue about what Sean Sweeney wants this group to look like. It was also another day for the assistant coach to keep shaping the tone of camp, while Anthony Black and Noah Penda moved closer to returning and the staff kept tabs on their progress.
Chris Algieris visit added a different kind of edge, with the former boxing champion speaking to the players about training and competitiveness. For a team still sorting out its camp identity, those sessions matter just as much as the drills, and Sweeneys fingerprints are starting to show in the way Orlando is approaching the daily grind. [Read more 🡒]
Franz Wagner Knows What This Magic Season Could Come Down To
Franz Wagner is back in the familiar spot of trying to turn promise into something sturdier, and for the Magic, that starts with his own body. After a calf injury cut short his previous season, Wagner said he is focused on physical longevity heading into this one, a reminder that Orlandos ceiling is tied not just to talent, but to availability and timing. He also pointed to the urgency around this roster, which has enough skill to expect more than just another competitive year.
Wagners view of the season is pretty simple: the Magic have a chance to move past the first round, but only if they make the most of it. He noted the new coaching staff and the need to maximize what the group can become, which gives this year a different kind of weight around the margins. For a team trying to turn potential into progress, the challenge may end up being less about belief than about capitalizing when the opening is there. [Read more 🡒]