Conversation surrounding Magic’s big offseason decision has changed completely 

After making their first playoff appearance with the core of Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Jalen Suggs, the Magic entered an offseason filled with high expectations and big decisions to make. Many fans were advocating for the team to pursue a big name. Paul George and Klay Thompson were the highest-profile free agents on the market, but neither landed in Orlando. 

Instead of chasing an All-Star-level player, the Magic decided to sign Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and give new deals to most of their rotational players from the 2023-24 season. That included Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs, who were both eligible for their rookie extensions. 

Wagner agreed to a new deal first, receiving a max extension seemingly without much negotiating. The move was highly criticized, as rookie max extensions are usually given out to All-Stars and the face of a franchise. Wagner has not been an All-Star yet, is not the best player on his team, and struggled with his shot last season. His poor performance in Game 7 of the Magic’s first-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers was still on everyone’s mind. 

By now, things look quite different. 

The conversation around Franz Wagner has changed completely 

Most Magic fans expected Wagner to live up to his new contract eventually, but the forward still surprised many people with how quickly he did it. 

Paolo Banchero started the season off looking ready to take the next step and carry the Magic to the next level. His 50-point game against the Indiana Pacers put everyone on notice. Then, he suffered an unfortunate injury, and the Magic faced their first real challenge of the new season. They had to figure out how to survive and win without Banchero. 

Wagner made that much easier. After a few tough losses, he found his rhythm and put the Magic on his back. Since Banchero went down, Wagner has scored 20 or more points in all but three games, including five games in which he put up at least 30 points. He currently leads the team in points, assists, and steals per game, doing a little bit of everything. 

It seems that Wagner is on his way to his first All-Star appearance, and the conversation around his new contract has changed completely. Shortly after the news broke, Wagner’s new contract was often deemed an overpay. 

Bill Simmons said on his podcast he wasn’t sure if Wagner could live up to the contract. Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus graded the move with a B- but noted that the “max seems a bit much.” Meanwhile, his colleague Grant Hughes listed Wagner’s max extension as one of his sneaky-bad moves from 2024 free agency. 

Wagner’s emergence as a capable number-one option on a winning team has changed the conversation completely. The league honored Wagner with the Eastern Conference Player of the Week award, and his play has received plenty of positive attention from several media outlets. 

Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz recently listed Wagner’s play as the one thing the Magic should be most thankful for this year. 

“Some eyebrows were raised when Wagner received a max contract extension this past offseason, but his recent play while carrying Orlando to wins on a nightly basis has quieted any concerns,” Swartz wrote. 

Wagner has already managed to quiet his doubters just twenty games into the season, but there is still more work to be done. If Wagner wants to be an All-Star, he has to keep up this kind of play consistently and also do it once Paolo Banchero returns. On top of that, he must now prove that he can carry this kind of production to the next level and perform in the playoffs.