Orlando Magic Trade Value Column 2022: Preparing for the next steps

Orlando Magic Trade Value Column 2022

1. Franz Wagner (4 years, $22.8 million, Team Options in 2023 and 2024)

When the Orlando Magic selected Franz Wagner with the eighth pick, nobody was really sure what to make of it.

Wagner was always viewed as a solid player who would fit in any role a team gave him. But it hardly felt like the home run swing the young Magic needed. Even after getting Jalen Suggs (viewed as a potential star), everyone wanted to see the team get a second bite at the star apple. Other flashier names were favored in the fan base and the offseason was spent debating the Wagner pick.

The narrative has change dramatically now.

Wagner is the one viewed as a potential star with limitless areas his game can seemingly grow. He has put himself squarely in the Rookie of the Year conversation. And Magic fans are even upset he is not more invovled and imposing himself on the game a whole lot.

Pick your favorite nickname for Franz Wagner — the “Franz-chise,” “Only Franz,” “The Big Franz-damental” (OK, I just made that last one up) — there are plenty to choose from. And he has earned all the accolades.

If there is one positive thing coming out of this season it is Wagner’s emergence and development. The sky really does seem like the limit.

Wagner is among the top rookies in almost every major counting stat, averaging 15.7 points per game and shooting a 51.3-percent effective field goal percentage.

The smoothness and pace that he plays at has been far advanced for a rookie. He knows how to control his speed, accelerating and decelerating to keep defensive off balance, and then is improving dramtically at his ability to finish at the rim after he gets through the lane.

There is just not very much that does not impress about Wagner and the season he is putting together. And there are still so many areas he is going to continue to grow.

The Magic’s biggest problem remains their lack of star power. The jumbled nature of this list — and, yes, it is certainly something up for debate because a lot of these guys are really close and still proving themselves — shows how the team lacks a central figure to align itself with.

In theory, the Magic’s first round pick is again the most valuable trade asset the Magic have. Although this year’s upcoming draft is not nearly as celebrated as last year’s class.

The team is still trying to create and form its future. That part is still very much a work in progress.

More than any other player, Wagner has cemented his part in that future. The team will be eager to see where he progresses next. And right now, he is about the only player who might be completely untouchable as the team examines its next steps to rebuild.