Orlando Magic fans have had a common complaint this offseason.
As misguided or honest as it might be, they have not been happy with how constantly busy Franz Wagner's summers have been.
Every summer he has played for the Orlando Magic, he has spent at least a part of it playing for the German national team.
That has undoubtedly benefited him.
He got to play in high-intensity games against other high-level players and gained confidence as he came back to the NBA. Winning the World Cup, finishing fourth at the Olympics and winning Eurobasket have made Wagner a much better player.
But it felt like he paid the price last year.
He tore his oblique in the 2025 season, missing 20 games. He was held to 35 games after suffering a high ankle sprain last season. Even though that was an impact injury, fans wanted him to get a summer to himself and to focus on himself rather than play for his national team.
But the national team's quest still marches on. World Cup qualifying had its first summer qualifying window in July. The quest to qualify for the World Cup continues at the end of the month.
Wagner will not be playing for Germany. Magic fans can breathe a small sigh of releif.
But all eyes will be on the German national team again. Tristan da Silva will suit up for Germany, however, giving the Magic's young forward the chance to play meaningful basketball before the season begins.
These games will not be as competitive as the ones from previous summers. Germany will play the Netherlands and Poland, both playing without NBA players, as they begin the second round of World Cup qualifying.
Still, this is a chance for Da Silva to give a solid base heading into a critical season for him. Da Silva has a big role to play for the Magic this season.
He is not alone for Magic fans to pay attention.
Goga Bitadze will also play for Georgia after playing for them in the July window. International basketball is indeed back.
Da Silva's chance
Tristan da Silva entered last season with a big opportunity to make an impact for his team in his second season.
Da Silva had an up-and-down rookie year where the team relied upon him at times as a shooter and defender. But he ultimately fell out of the rotation in the Playoffs, appearing in only throwaway minutes at the end of games.
He made his national team debut at Eurobasket last summer. It was a breakout showing from him.
Coming off the bench, da Silva averaged 10.4 points per game and shot 18 for 34 from beyond the arc in nine games. He scored 16 points in the semifinal against Finland and 12 points in the final against Turkiye.
In a comeback win over Slovenia in the quarterfinal, da Silva hit a half-court shot to close the deficit to four points. He was vital to the team's journey to win the gold medal last summer.
His defense and shooting from that tournament was a launching pad to his 2026 season, where he averaged 9.9 points per game and shot 37.4 percent from the floor.
He was a solid contributor all season long for the Orlando Magic.
But da Silva's playing time shrank during the playoffs -- from 24.7 minutes per game in the regular season to 15.3 minutes per game in the playoffs. He averaged only 4.1 points per game in that seven-game series.
Da Silva, indeed, still has another level to reach. And this offseason is a big one.
Judging by da Silva's new look, he is indeed taking that seriously.
Da Silva is joining a fairly stacked Germany squad that will feature Isaiah Hartenstein's return to the national team, captain Dennis Schroder and veteran big man Daniel Theis. Essentially, every regular for the German national team aside from Franz Wagner (and his brother Moe Wagner) will be playing in these games.
Germany should win these games comfortably. It probably will not be like the group-phase win over Great Britain from last year's Eurobasket, when da Silva scored 25 points in 25 minutes. But it may not be too far away.
Germany still needs to take these games seriously and win them. But this is the team getting together for some work together with some games thrown in.
Germany hosts the Netherlands in Cologne on Aug. 27 and visit Poland on Aug. 30.
Bitadze returns for Georgia
Georgia is also playing many of its regular players as it tries to qualify for the World Cup once again.
Georgia had a breakthrough run at Eurobasket last year, reaching the quarterfinals and officially finishing eighth, the country's highest finish.
Goga Bitadze is known for his defensive prowess in the NBA. He provides much of the same role for his national team, still coming off the bench.
Bitadze is still not much for stats. He played in the July qualifying window, scoring eight points (on 4-for-12 shooting) and grabbing 11 rebounds in a 95-76 loss to Ukraine and scoring four points and grabbing five rebounds in a 91-89 overtime win over Spain.
That is the definition of Bitadze's time in the NBA and the struggle with him. He is still seeking consistency.
Bitadze has an uphill climb for minutes. He seems like he will be back in the third center role, filling in as the starter if Wendell Carter has to miss time. Bitadze will still have his impactful games.
Georgia will host Montenegro on Aug. 28 and will visit Portugal on Aug. 31.
Nikola Vucevic has retired from national team play.
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