Moe Wagner is still a bundle of energy.
Even out with an injury throughout last season, he was in a coach's pullover behind the bench shouting and cheering his teammates on. As the season progressed, he moved closer to the bench, and his presence as a teammate was still evident.
During EuroBasket, Wagner was a member of German broadcaster Magenta Sport's broadcast and was seen bringing his energy through the television screen. Wagner was living and dying over every moment.
That is the energy Wagner brings to every game he plays. That is what Orlando Magic fans have fallen in love with during his five seasons with the Magic. He has established himself as a critical player for the team.
It has been a long time since anyone has seen Wagner on the floor. He tore his ACL on Dec. 23, a lump of coal in the Magic's Christmas stocking. In a season full of injuries, Wagner's injury was as devastating as the ones to the team's stars in many ways. Orlando lost one of its superpowers.
It is not yet clear when Wagner will return -- it is safe to assume it likely will be some time in December, nearly a year after the injury. But the Magic will get an undeniable boost when he returns.
Wagner is not necessarily the missing piece. But he could be a huge player for the Magic in their title ambitions. A forgotten piece considering he has been out for so long.
As the Magic aim to contend this season, Wagner getting back on the court and up to speed will be vital to their success.
Wagner's impact
Moe Wagner was having a career season before he tore his ACL in December. It was the culmination of so many moments for this team as the Orlando Magic plucked him off the scrap heap in 2021 to close that season and he quickly established his role.
Wagner was a reliable low-post scorer and an always-improving 3-point shooter. He had defensive shortcomings, but always played hard, constantly leading the team in charges.
Wagner was a perfect bench player because he was just pure energy. He came in and flipped the game and kept a constant scoring drumbeat. It was at the point last season where coach Jamahl Mosley would joke that Wagner falls out of bed scoring 10 points.
The 2025 season was a career season. He averaged 12.9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. He shot 56.2 percent from the floor and 36.0 percent from three.
For a team hungry for offense, the fact Wagner was so reliable for scoring around the basket and as a hard rolling option or pop option to the 3-point line, Wagner became a vital lifeline.
In the 2024 season, when Wagner averaged 10.9 points per game and got some light buzz for sixth man of the year, the Magic finished fourth in the league with 41.5 points per game off the bench. It was a big boost to their offense and a big reason the Magic got to the 5-seed.
The 2025 season was on track to be very similar.
Before Wagner's injury, the Magic were fifth in the league with 40.1 points per game off the bench. This included all the injuries the team had already. The bench was part of the team's superpower. And Wagner was an engine driving it.
After Wagner's injury, the Magic ranked 22nd with 33.2 points per game off the bench. That is a nearly seven-point difference, but it was huge for a team that at times struggled to get much offense going.
Losing Moe Wagner, even with how good Goga Bitadze was filling in for whatever role the Magic needed of him, had a huge impact. Wagner was simply a bucket.
It left them missing a key energy piece off the bench. And while Orlando is stronger offensively than for quite a long time, Wagner still has a major role to play off the bench this season.
Where is he when he gets back?
Moe Wagner's injury came at a bad time for him.
He was in the midst of his career season and in a contract year. A lot of his future was thrown up in the air, and he could only wait and see where things would land. And work to make his way back.
Wagner signed a make-good, one-year deal with the Magic, taking a sizable pay cut on top of it. It helped the Magic stay under the first apron and make room to sign Tyus Jones. It also gives them the chance to see if Wagner gets all the way back from his injury or not.
But Wagner is sure to have that trademark energy and intensity as he inches closer to his return. The question will be how quickly he can slot back into that familiar role.
The Magic are set at the center position. Wendell Carter is a solid defender and versatile player in the post. Goga Bitadze has been an energetic defender with a growing offensive game. One of the three bigs will get pushed out of the rotation -- barring any two-center lineup experiments the Magic want to run.
But the Magic's bench is also missing key offensive players. There are no explosive scorers off the bench. Having a player like Wagner who can quietly score 20 points on any given night is a huge boost. Wagner has turned games on his own with that ability especially.
Wagner will be jumping headfirst into a team that will have little time to let anybody ease their way back. They are aiming to win.
He has always worked hard too. And there should be little doubt Wagner will find his way back on the floor this season.
Orlando will need his scoring impact off the bench. It could be one of the big superpowers for this team in its quest to contend.