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1 reason why the Orlando Magic re-signed each of their free agents

The Orlando Magic were expected to throw some weight around in free agency. Instead they used it to bring back most of their own free agents. Here is one reason why it made sense for each player.

By Philip Rossman-Reich

The Orlando Magic spent most of their offseason bringing back their depth and re-signing their own players. It may not have been the most exciting thing to do, but there was a reason the Magic invested in their own.
The Orlando Magic spent most of their offseason bringing back their depth and re-signing their own players. It may not have been the most exciting thing to do, but there was a reason the Magic invested in their own. / Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports
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Moritz Wagner: Winning Edge

It did not take particularly long for Cleveland Cavaliers fans to understand Mo Wagner was public enemy number one. Wagner got involved in a shoulder bump battle with Isaac Okoro and Georges Niang early in Game 1 and Wagner only raised the ire when he clapped toward the Orlando Magic's bench to try to create some energy.

Wagner is not trying to cause trouble. He never has in his various stops around the league. But trouble seems to find him. He is not someone who is going to back down.

The 2024 season was by far Wagner's best season in a Magic uniform. He averaged 10.9 points per game and 4.3 rebounds per game. He shot an incredible 67.3 percent on 2-point field goals and 60.1 percent overall.

Wagner is perfect as the team's backup center. He has a knack for scoring around the basket and punishing many of the backup centers around the league.

The Magic scored 1.33 points per possession on Wagner's pick and rolls as the roll man, which was good for the 80th percentile in the league according to NBA.com's tracking stats.

Wagner may see those numbers dip without his typical running mate in pick and rolls in Joe Ingles. But Wagner knows how to score.

But what Wagner really gives the team is some swagger.

That never-back-down attitude makes him the most hated player by opposing fans. He can be a bit of an irritant even if he does not mean to. He energizes everyone on his team and they feed off his energy.

Wagner greatly improved as a defender too. He added improving his defensive field goal percentage at the rim from one of the worst marks in the NBA in 2023 at 75.5 percent to 62.6 percent last year. That changed his impact and utility for the Magic. It also helps that he was third in the league with 24 charges drawn, according to NBA.com's hustle stats.

Wagner makes a lot of winning plays. A lot of plays that go unnoticed.

Orlando does not want to lean on him as a starter—the team did everything it could to keep him in that comfortable bench role and the re-acquisition of Goga Bitadze ensures the team maintains that balance—but Wagner always seemed to make the most of his minutes.

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