For a roster that is adding only one new player to the fold this offseason, it has felt like a summer of massive changes for the Orlando Magic.
For the first time in five years, the Magic will have a new coach after dismissing Jamahl Mosley and hiring Sean Sweeney. That is a seismic shift. As president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman put it, no change is as impactful to a team, other than acquiring a star player, as hiring a new coach.
The beginning of the next season, at least, will start with an adjustment to a new coach. But at least there will be some familiarity throughout the roster. Time will tell if this is a square peg fitting into a round hole.
That one roster change, though, is significant for who it is and the implications it leaves for a star player.
Orlando's hesitance to change has still led to losing key locker room figures. Orlando let Markelle Fultz go after the 2024 season. The team traded away Cole Anthony to acquire Desmond Bane. There were solid veteran players too who have shuffled on and off the team -- like Joe Ingles, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cory Joseph and Tyus Jones.
But losing Moe Wagner is truly walking into uncharted territory.
Wagner is reportedly set to sign a two-year, $19-million deal with the Brooklyn Nets, leaving the Orlando Magic after six years.
Wagner was not merely just a strong scorer off the bench for the team and an emotional center with his passion and energy, he was also its star player's brother, roommate and best friend.
Moe Wagner needed to move on. The Magic could not offer the same contract the Nets could. He needed a space where he could make mistakes and get himself healthy after returning from a torn ACL last year. Orlando essentially replaced him with Nikola Vucevic.
But the bigger question -- and perhaps the bigger concern -- is the adjustment to life for Franz Wagner. Franz surely understands why his brother is leaving the team. This is still a business.
That business finally hit the Magic. And the Magic's favorite brothers are now on separate teams. That will be a bigger adjustment in a season that will feature some big adjustments.
A basketball life together
Franz Wagner's entire NBA life has been spent with his brother.
The Magic signed Moe Wagner to a 10-day contract in 2021, the season before they drafted his brother. Moe was good enough in that short 11-game stint to stick on the roster. It did not hurt that the team drafted his brother that offseason.
The two were inseparable. Franz often mentioned that Moe was his best friend. It was Moe providing a lot of the personality and trying to needle his little brother into taking command. They lived together for much of their time in Orlando.
More importantly, they were on the same team year-round. They played for the German national team together in the summer.
Last summer's EuroBasket showing, where Franz Wagner averaged 20.8 points and 5.9 rebounds per game to help Germany win the gold medal, was the first time they had not played together since Franz entered the league.
He famously wore Moe's jersey to accept his spot on the all-tournament team and the gold medal to keep his brother with him -- Moe was on the Magenta Sport broadcast in Germany as a commentator.
The two were inseparable off the court. Almost to the point where the duo was a bit annoyed having to answer questions about the other.
We in the media would often turn to Moe for insight on his usually quiet brother -- Moe is also just a great talker. We would turn to Franz for updates on Moe's injury progress since that was the one thing he never wanted to talk about.
The Magic surely used having the brothers together as something of a cheat code to understanding each other and getting the most out of both. There was a comfort zone for the two being together.
But it is also important for both to strike out on their own.
Franz on his own
Moe Wagner has not hidden how much he hates the uncertainty of his contract status during the last three years. His injury did not help matters before he agreed to a one-year, $5 million contract last summer. His new contract with the Brooklyn Nets reportedly includes an option for next summer.
But the story for the Orlando Magic will be how Franz Wagner reacts without that security blanket of his brother around all the time. He is truly being pushed into the deep end to strike out on his own.
They surely knew and understood this moment was coming. They could not live this charmed life playing together forever. As much as the Magic value continuity, they are not immune to change. Even if it is incremental.
So what does Franz do without his best friend and big brother?
This is a critical moment in his career. One that he has the talent and is very capable of handling. He is a professional after all, even if this is uncharted territory.
But this is a concern fans have had that Moe is not only vital as a heartbeat for the team but for one of the star players.
This is not the first time the Magic have tried to push their young players out of their comfort zone.
This reminds me a lot of the summer of 2007, when the Magic let Grant Hill walk, despite his willingness to return for less, so that they could push Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson into leadership roles. General manager Otis Smith, at the time, wanted the two young players to no longer defer to the veteran and future Hall of Famer.
That decision worked as the Magic began their best extended run in franchise history. Howard and Nelson anchored the team to a Finals appearance two years later and Playoff series wins for three straight years.
Who is to say that Franz does not need a push out of his comfort zone?
That is something the Magic must be calculating even if they could not control Moe's decision to leave. And that is his decision and he deserves that decision to take care of himself.
Franz is as important as any player on the team. His absence last year was a big factor in the team's frustrating season. And this is uncharted territory for him and this team.
But that is the path they walk moving forward. Franz will have to learn to play without his brother.
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