Magic give up 2018 second-round draft pick to Toronto

Jeff Weltman officially hired by Orlando Magic Wednesday

ORLANDO, Fla. – The Orlando Magic gave up the lesser of the team's 2018 second-round draft pick in order to secure the hire of new President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman.

According to News 6 Sports Director David Pingalore's league sources, giving up a draft pick for someone getting a promotion is unprecedented in the NBA.

Toronto signed Weltman last fall to a five-year contract as the second man in charge of the Raptors.

Team management in Toronto thought highly of Weltman, as did the Orlando Magic, as they have been trying to fix their basketball operations since former Magic general manager Rob Hennigan was fired in April.

Pingalore learned through an NBA source that in order for the deal with Weltman to happen the franchise negotiated to give up the lesser of the two 2018 second-round picks to get him out of his contract with Toronto.

The Magic could have stood their ground and still signed Weltman, according to Pingalore's league source, because draft picks in the NBA are more valuable than ever.

Now it appears the Magic may have created their own precedent in making deals for team management members who are getting a promotion.

The franchise gave two picks to Miami Heat in 2007 and 2008 in exchange for hiring Stand van Gundy, who was not the head coach then but in a reassigned position.

That would be a promotion for Van Gundy.

As Pingalore's NBA source said it is not a common practice to give up draft picks in order to hire someone to a promoted position from what they have currently. Like in this example, Weltman was the second man in charge of Toronto and is being promoted to the Magic's president of basketball operations.

"If I am the Raptors, if you don't ask you don't get, so they asked and received," Pingalore said.