The Orlando Magic selected French forward Noah Penda with the 32nd pick in the NBA Draft on Thursday night, adding another hustle player to the team. Penda becomes only the third second round pick selected under Jeff Weltman.
“Noah is a very unique player,” Weltman said. “A very good ballhandler, very good passer and an excellent defender. When we first saw him, he struck us on one of our first trips to Europe as a guy to flag for the rest of the season.”
While Orlando originally held the 46th and 57th pick, they traded both with the Celtics to get the pick, also giving up their 2026 and 2027 second round picks.
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Penda’s energy and effort is his most impactful asset. In 29 games for Le Mans Sarthe last season, he averaged almost a steal and a half, five rebounds, and half a block per game.
“Honestly, I’m [a] very versatile player, a lot of energy, everything starts on defense,” Penda said.
He also shot efficiently from inside the arc at 53% on four and a half attempts per game.
Where Penda struggled, however, was from three point range, only making 30% of his shots on over three attempts a game. He also was poor at the free throw line, shooting 69% on three and a half attempts a night.
His defensive upside was enough for Orlando to overlook his offensive flaws and trade multiple picks to select him. Penda is only 20 years old, so he has plenty of time to improve his offensive skillset.
Standing at 6’ 8”, weighing 250 pounds, and possessing a 7’ wingspan, his frame alone could be enough to get him playing time. He will most likely see time in Osceola, as Orlando currently has 14 players on their roster.
Penda also becomes Orlando’s fifth European-born player on the active roster, making up over a third of the team. With the extra professional experience overseas, the Magic hope he can add to their league-best defense for years to come.
“I’ve improved for three years now in France, so I think I’m just ready to be on an NBA court just by the fact that I play defense on multiple positions and I don’t [make] a lot of mistakes on offense,” Penda said. “But I think things are going to evolve and I’m going to be able to do a lot more with the way Americans work. So, I’m just really excited to get started.”
In the pre-draft process, his game was likened to former second round Draymond Green, which would be a huge steal for a contending Magic team. Penda, who received many late first round grades, could be Orlando’s second steal of the draft alongside Jase Richardson on Wednesday.