Moe Wagner, Magic Reportedly Agree to $5M Contract amid NBA Free Agency Rumors
Moritz Wagner was limited to just 30 games in 2024-25 because of a torn ACL, but the Orlando Magic decided to keep him for at least one more year.
According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Wagner and the Magic agreed to terms on a new one-year, $5 million contract on Friday.
Wagner bounced around to the Los Angeles Lakers, Washington Wizards and Boston Celtics during the first three seasons of his career, but the 2024-25 campaign was his fourth full season with the Magic.
His brother, Franz, has also been with the team during that entire span.
While Franz Wagner is more of a franchise cornerstone, it seemed like Moritz was going to be a key piece of Orlando's rotation during the past season. That made the timing of the injury all the more unfortunate, as he averaged a career-best 12.9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game while shooting 56.2 percent from the field and 36 percent from deep prior to the setback.
Wagner wasn't a lights-out shooter from beyond the arc, but his ability to extend his game to three-point range made him a more difficult matchup for opposing defenses.
The Michigan product has gradually improved his offensive output during his time with Orlando and seemed well on his way to continue doing so before he was injured. After all, he averaged 9.0 points per game in 2021-22, 10.5 points per game in 2022-23 and 10.9 points per game in 2023-24.
Whether he can return to form or perhaps even build on it as he comes back from a serious injury will determine whether this proves to be a worthwhile move for the Magic.
Wagner is just 28 years old and seems far more comfortable in Orlando's rotation than he did at previous stops earlier in his career. Playing alongside his brother surely helps that, and the front office showed faith in the big man with this decision.
And now Wagner will have a chance to earn a long-term contract and perhaps even more continuity with the Magic if he bounces back from injury and plays well in 2025-26.
