Magic Exec Jeff Weltman Living Up To Reputation, Shaping Another Winner

November 25, 2024

Jeff Weltman has quietly built one of the most impressive résumés among NBA executives, guiding multiple franchises to success and now steering the Orlando Magic toward sustained relevance, as detailed by Josh Cohen of the team website.

In his role as president of basketball operations, Weltman has helped transform the Magic into one of the league’s most intriguing young teams, featuring rising stars Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner.

Under Weltman’s leadership, Orlando has made steady progress over the past four years. After winning 34 games in 2022-23, the Magic took a major leap in 2023-24, winning 47 games and pushing the Cleveland Cavaliers to seven games in the playoffs’ opening round.

With one of the league’s best defenses and a deep, selfless roster, the Magic are proving that their rebuild is ahead of schedule.

Weltman’s ability to identify and maximize talent has been a constant throughout his career. As an assistant GM with the Denver Nuggets, he helped engineer one of the NBA’s greatest turnarounds, drafting Carmelo Anthony in 2003 and vaulting the team from 17 wins to 43 in one season.

Later, during a five-year stint in Milwaukee, he and then-GM John Hammond made one of the boldest draft decisions in league history, selecting a little-known Greek teenager named Giannis Antetokounmpo with the 15th pick in 2013. That decision eventually helped lay the foundation for the Bucks’ 2021 championship.

Weltman’s influence extended to Toronto, where as GM, he played a role in drafting Pascal Siakam and building the framework for the Raptors’ 2019 title run.

In Orlando, Weltman’s steady hand is evident in decisions like hiring Jamahl Mosley, last year’s Coach of the Year runner-up, and fostering a team-first culture.

As Weltman himself puts it, “You come here to be part of something bigger than yourself.” That philosophy, paired with a young core full of potential, has Magic fans dreaming big.