Franz Wagner: Magic's Best Player?

The second-year pro from Michigan made First-Team All-Rookie last season.

ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic have multiple players with tons of upside, making it difficult to distinguish who the team's best player is.

Arguments can be made for several players, including No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero, who has been tearing it up in the first two games of the Magic's Summer League run.

But The Athletic believes that player isn't Banchero, but rather second-year pro Franz Wagner.

In the publication's annual "Top 125 Player List," Wagner is the only member of the Magic to make the cut. 

Wagner, who turns 21 in August, had a strong rookie campaign averaging 15.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. The sky's the limit for the former Michigan Wolverine.

In The Athletic's list, players are broken down into tiers. Wagner makes the 5A tier, which is built for players who "provide some additional championship equity on top of their 'everyday' production, but only a minor amount."

Considering the Magic only have one player on the whole list, and he only provides a "minor amount" of championship equity, it's understandable that the Magic are a bottom-tier team in the NBA.

Jonathan Isaac was part of the list the year before, but was one of the year's dropouts on the list, likely because he did not play in a single game during the season.

However, if Isaac can return to form as a possible top-100 player, Wagner continues to develop and Banchero plays like he is in Las Vegas right now, the Magic could be forming quite a lethal frontcourt.