Magic's Jeff Weltman Reflects On 'Unpredictable' Draft Night

Originally posted on Orlando Magic on SI
By Andrew Cherico | Last updated Jul 13, 2025 2:02 PM ET

Jeremy Brener | Orlando Magic On SI

As draft night progressed, the Orlando Magic grew increasingly excited to see one of their top targets, Jase Richardson, fall to them at No. 25, especially after trading away the No. 16 pick earlier in the offseason as part of the blockbuster deal for Desmond Bane.

Many mock drafts projected Richardson to go in the late lottery or early 20s, widely viewed as one of the top pure scorers in the class. He showcased the ability to score efficiently from all three levels, especially from the perimeter. With natural instincts to get to his spots without relying on playmaking, Richardson had long been on the Magic’s radar. But after trading the earlier of their two first-round picks, Orlando potentially feared they had missed their shot.

Concerns about Richardson’s height and playmaking ability surfaced during the NBA Combine, causing his draft stock to slip. The Magic seized the opportunity, selecting him at No. 25 and giving him a chance to develop in a defined role, one that fills their clear need for scoring.

During an in-game interview from the Magic's Summer League debut, president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman mentioned hoping Richardson would fall in their range.

"The draft is such a crazy, unpredictable night," Weltman said. No one ever knows how it's going to unfold. We had Jase for a visit when we had the 16th pick, so that's what we thought of him. We had Noah [Penda] comfortably in the first round, and we had him in for a visit as well. Obviously, you can't predict it. We kind of mock it up that he would maybe get into our range. But once you get within five or six picks, anything can happen, but we felt really fortunate, he was available, and I think he's going to be a really nice kid for us.

Richardson isn’t expected to take on major scoring responsibilities right away. Instead, he and the Magic’s other offseason additions are expected to help ease the load on the team’s star trio.

"I would never put a whole team's burden on a player or two or three," Weltman added. "What I am hoping is that those players, along with better health, will address a lot of our issues, because I think that people kind of it's easy to forget. Jalen [Suggs], Franz [Wagner] and Paolo [Banchero] played 97 minutes together. Those three guys, that's our shot creation. So I do think that, if we can stay healthy and add those guys, we can make a significant step forward offensively."