The last three summers have been agony for Moe Wagner.
As depicted in The Wagner Brothers documentary, he faced turmoil in both the summer of 2023 and the summer of 2024 as his contract status was uncertain. In both, it felt to the outside the Orlando Magic would get something done with the backup center who has embraced everything it meant to be a part of their program.
He went from a minimum player to regular rotation player, seeing his salary rise to a two-year, $16 million deal. When the team option on the second year was declined to maximize the team's cap space, they still came back and took care of him, signing him to a two-year, $11 million with a team option on the second year.
Wagner has proven himself at every turn and endeared himself to fans as much as he has produced on the court.
The stress did not go away.
That signals how vital Wagner has become to this team and its culture. With the Magic changing so much and swapping out several key emotional centers, bringing back Wagner felt vital. Doing so was a challenge considering his injury and the Magic's financial restrictions.
After several days of hand-wringing from both sides, the team got it done, agreeing to sign Wagner to a one-year, $5-million deal, according to Shams Charania of ESPN and Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel.
It accomplished a key goal for the team -- it keeps one of their heartbeats on the team. Someone who has embodied everything that it means to be a member of this team and grow with the group.
But there is still that lingering uncertainty. Both sides still have a lot to prove to each other.
Wagner happy to return to Orlando
Moe Wagner continues to speak glowingly about his time in Orlando. It was clear that despite the uncertainty and the potential pay decrease, he was eager to return to the Orlando Magic.
On an episode of his podcast, Kannst Du So Nicht Sagen, recorded before the NBA Draft, Wagner said he really likes his situation in Orlando and that his salary was secondary to playing with his brother and being in Orlando.
He made it clear he would not take an extreme haircut. Thoughts the Magic could bring him back at the minimum were probably far too harsh. But he said he valued the comfort and joy that playing in Orlando has brought him. That always gave the Magic an advantage in free agency.
With the Magic's limited spending power, Orlando had to play a little bit of hardball.
It is undoubted Wagner's impact on the floor for the Magic.
He averaged a career-high 12.9 points per game, shooting 56.2 percent from the floor and 36.0 percent from three. He established himself as a potential Sixth Man of the Year Award nominee as the anchor of one of the highest-scoring bench units in the league.
A season-ending ACL injury cut Wagner's career-best season short in December. That sent everything about his future into flux.
Orlando, bumping up against a hard cap at the first apron after spending in free agency, declined Wagner's team option to maximize their room once again. It left everything in flux.
Still, the biggest thing in flux was Wagner's health. Ultimately, that is what caused the delay in signing him, and why the Magic will likely wait for him to be healthy in December.
Wagner updates his injury status
Torn ACLs are not nearly the death-sentence injuries they were a few decades ago. The only thing the injury costs is time.
It is nearly a year to recover from the injury and nearly a year to get back to full strength.
On his podcast, Moe Wagner reported the doctors are pleased with his recovery. Wagner noted his doctors are urging him to understand how far along he is physically. He said doctors have given him the clearance to train fully without any concern for breaking anything or reaggravating the injury.
Wagner said he can now start doing more activity on the basketball court -- he said he has not watched much basketball to focus on his knee, but will begin re-immersing himself in film and basketball as he goes on vacation. He added doctors have told him his body could be ready for training camp but it is just about having the confidence to play again and being in basketball shape.
There is still a long road to go. But at this stage of his recovery, it is more about overcoming mental hurdles than physical ones.
Wagner's new contract is certainly a bet that he will make that recovery -- he was injured on Dec. 21 and a late December return seems accurate.
It is a bet that Wagner will recover and be a key part of the Magic's playoff race and it is a bet by Wagner that he can prove his health and his worth to get a bigger contract next year in free agency.
The Magic still retain his full Bird Rights and can go over the cap to sign him to any amount. If he looks back on track, Orlando could easily restore his salary to where it was before the injury.
The goal now is to get Wagner healthy and back on the court for the Magic.
There is a lot to prove.
There are major expectations for this team to fulfill. And Wagner will step right into those expectations when he returns this season.
While this stage of uncertainty has ended. It is followed by more. Wagner has a lot to prove to solidify his spot just as the Magic are going to have to make some tough decisions moving forward. The two sides still have a lot to prove to each other.