The Magic Insider

COLUMN: Magic's Franz Wagner Is Worth Every Penny

The Orlando Magic met equal parts praise and skepticism when they gave Franz Wagner a $224-million max rookie extension. Fifteen games into the season, Wagner's on an All-Star trajectory.

Mason Williams

Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (22) dribbles the ball against the Phoenix Suns during the second half of an NBA game at Footprint Center.
Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (22) dribbles the ball against the Phoenix Suns during the second half of an NBA game at Footprint Center. / Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
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ORLANDO, Fla. – Over the summer, the Orlando Magic didn't hesitate to check off one of the biggest boxes on their to-do list.

Franz Wagner, the team's No. 8 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, was eligible for a rookie contract extension. Wasting no time, the Magic gave Wagner the max deal — five years, $224 million — that cemented the former Michigan Wolverine as one of the franchise's cornerstones.

Initial reactions from commentators around the NBA were skeptical, pointing to Wagner's 1-for-15 clunker in Game 7 at Cleveland and his dreadful season shooting threes. Could he perform up to one of the league's richest contracts? With leading scorer and All-Star Paolo Banchero due an extension in 2025, had Orlando overpaid for the Robin to their Batman? These questions dominated the discourse for months.

Fifteen games into the 2024-25 season, Wagner's game is doing the talking for him.

And it's saying he's worth every penny of his new contract.

Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (22)
Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (22) reacts after a basket against the Philadelphia 76ers in the fourth quarter at Kia Center. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

After Banchero suffered a torn right oblique muscle in Chicago at October's end, the Magic went through a tough adjustment period. A small sample size suggested that Banchero, the No. 1 overall pick in 2022, was on an All-NBA track before being sidelined. Making up for his production would be a collective effort, but Wagner would shoulder the greatest responsibility.

The Magic immediately lost four consecutive games, and none of the scores was close. It didn't help that Wagner was ill with a reported non-COVID stomach bug. Since returning to full health, the takeover has been on.

With Banchero watching from the sideline, Wagner and the Magic have flipped the script. They have won six consecutive games and Wagner is playing like an All-Star. Over his last seven games, he's averaging:

  • 28.8 points;
  • 46.5% field goals;
  • 35.8% three-pointers;
  • 86% free throws;
  • 6.3 rebounds;
  • 6.3 assists; and
  • 1.3 steals.

And while the ball is in his hands much more frequently, he's committing only 1.3 turnovers a game.

The Magic have a +15.6 point differential over 100 possessions with Wagner on the floor, per Cleaning the Glass. That's in the 91st percentile of all NBA players this season.

Wagner on Monday was honored as the NBA's Eastern Conference Player of the Week. That night in Phoenix, Wagner's 32 points, five boards and eight assists would lead Orlando to a sixth consecutive victory.

The Suns made a fourth-quarter run to pull within seven points, but as players of Wagner's caliber so often do, he settled his team and ensured the outcome. That's been part of the mindset shift he's undertaken in this elevated role.

"He's winning a lot of games for us down the stretch," guard Anthony Black said Monday. "Honestly, just the whole game with his aggression getting to the rim, his effort on the defensive end and, honestly, just his leadership. He took a big step up and he's using his voice a lot – now telling us kind of where he wants us and what he sees out there. We're playing off him and he's playing at a high level. If you ask me, he's definitely playing at an All-Star level."

The head coach agrees.

"Can't say it enough. You ask guys to step up in these moments, him not having a full, healthy roster, and [Wagner's] done that – an extra version of it," Mosley said. "I just think it's great for what he does and who he is and how he works, and he's just being rewarded [for] the body of work that he continues to have every single night."

It's not just on the offensive end. Wagner ranks in the 98th percentile of Dunks and Threes' defensive EPM (estimated plus-minus) model, checking in 11th of all qualified players this year. By Basketball Index's D-LEBRON metric – a holistic evaluation of player impact per 100 possessions on the court by combining contributions through box scores and on/off calculations – Wagner is the league's second-best wing-stopper this season, trailing only teammate Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

In between slithering drives to the basket and off-dribble shot creation for himself and others, Wagner is picking up elite scorers such as Pascal Siakam, Paul George and Devin Booker on defense.

Bottom line: Wagner is a 6-foot-10, two-way star. Those don't come around often.

To borrow Suns coach Mike Budenholzer's words, who has been an admirer of Wagner's game since his rookie year, he's got "a little bit of everything." Moe Wagner, brother and teammate, isn't surprised anymore when the outbursts come "because it's just so normal now."

"He has a different demeanor about himself," Moe said Friday night. "He kind of stepped up here in these last 10 games with Paolo out and you can see it in his day-to-day life. He's super locked in."

Should he stay healthy, Wagner is projecting toward his first career All-Star appearance this February in San Francisco.

If he sustains similar production upon Banchero's eventual return, the Magic's ceiling rises – not just this year, but beyond. Although Wagner's contract won't kick in until next season, his recent run has propelled him into that caliber of player right now.

The NBA is a business, and this summer the Magic made the right investment.

Related Stories on the Orlando Magic

  • MAGIC-SUNS RECAP: Orlando held an opponent under 100 points for the sixth consecutive game. The Magic have won all six of those contests, including last night's 109-99 tilt over the Phoenix Suns. CLICK HERE
  • COULD BANCHERO RETURN BY CHRISTMAS?: Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero told ESPN's Marc Spears that he feels he could be back by Christmas from a torn right oblique muscle. CLICK HERE
  • FRANZ WAGNER NAMED EAST POTW: Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner became the 14th player in franchise history to be named the conference’s Player of the Week. CLICK HERE
  • CAN MAGIC CARRY HOME SUCCESS WEST?: The Orlando Magic are 7-0 at home and 1-6 on the road. How do they change that? "You have to find a way, Jamahl Mosley said. CLICK HERE
  • MAGIC'S NBA-BEST 4Q DEFENSE: While possessing the NBA's best final-quarter defense, the Magic feel they "can stay with any team in the league night in and night out." CLICK HERE
  • 'STEADY' GOGA PROVIDING IMPACT: Goga Bitadze could've gone anywhere this summer, but he returned to the Orlando Magic. Now he is fulfilling various roles, including the starting center position as of late, and the Magic are reaping the benefits of Bitadze's impact. CLICK HERE
  • WAGNER'S GROWTH INTO NO. 1 OPTION CRITICAL: Without Paolo Banchero in the fold due to injury, the Magic's ability to stay afloat is led by Franz Wagner. His comfort in that role is crucial. CLICK HERE
  • MAGIC'S 2024-25 SCHEDULE: See the complete slate for the Orlando Magic in 2024-25 and all the details – dates, locations, TV, tip times, and more – that you need to know. CLICK HERE

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