Franz Wagner starts his third NBA season with the Orlando Magic on Thursday. So far, the 22-year-old has exceeded all expectations. Orlando is counting on him as one of the most important players. His contract will be extended next summer – then he will most likely be the highest-paid German NBA professional in history.
The World Cup training of the German national basketball team was coming to an end. Taking a few more throws, stretching, the usual routines. The few German journalists were allowed into the hall. Everyone knows each other, the DBB staff is as small as the media group. One woman stood out all the more.
Franz Wagner as the future of the Orlando Magic
At the World Cup, the Orlando Magic provided an athletic trainer and physical therapist, Lindsey Elizondo, who treated the Magic players Franz and Moritz Wagner. The coach was in direct communication with the Magic, especially because of Franz Wagner’s injury. On site in Japan and the Philippines it was clear: Wagner will only play for the DBB if Orlando gives the green light. The Magic’s wing player is so valuable that no unnecessary risks are taken in an international game.
Because alongside Paolo Banchero, who was taken first in the draft last year, Franz Wagner is the future of the Orlando Magic. In the US sports broadcaster ESPN’s ranking of the current 100 best NBA players, Franz Wagner is ranked 52nd, ahead of players like Draymond Green, who played an important role in the four championships with Golden State.
Gigantic contract in prospect
Franz Wagner is entering his third NBA season. After this season, his team can offer him a contract extension. If he continues to play like he did in his first two seasons, it will probably amount to the maximum: around $200 million for five years is realistic.
When you watch Franz Wagner, it seems as if none of this matters. There was no sign of his star status at the World Cup. While other national players were happy about the interest and interview requests, for him it seemed more like this: He knows that it’s part of it, but he’s happy when it’s over.
Potential for a long NBA career
The Berlin native can have a long and successful NBA career ahead of him because he has everything that is important in the modern NBA. His basic insurance is his defense. For a winger he is 2.08 meters tall (for comparison: LeBron James is 2.06 meters) and yet very agile. Coupled with his good instincts, this makes him an above-average, flexible defender.
This is a big advantage in the NBA because teams usually play a so-called switch defense. This means that players have a primary opponent, but as soon as the attacking team moves, the defense swaps their opponents in order to be able to react more flexibly.
Calmness and maturity as a particular strength
On the offensive, Franz Wagner plays uncharacteristically mature, calm, efficient and with few mistakes for his young age. Wagner has good ball handling skills and finishes confidently and in a variety of ways when moving to the basket. He has a good overview and can put his teammates in the spotlight. In addition, he doesn’t have to have the ball in his hands to be dangerous. He has a good instinct for running freely towards the basket and can wait for the pass as a solid shooter at the three-point line.
Not many players are accompanied by their own athletic trainer at a World Cup. This circumstance once again showed how important Franz Wagner is for Orlando. The Magic know that with players like him or Banchero, a lot is possible in the future. Maybe even in the near future: If the team manages to play as well as it did in the second half of last season, the playoffs might be possible this season.