The Orlando Magic and free agent center Moe Wagner have agreed to a one-year, $5 million deal to return to the team next season, a league source told ESPN’s Shams Charania on Friday. Wagner’s agent, Jason Glushon, negotiated the new contract with Magic executives.
Moe Wagner Joined Magic During 2021-22 Season
Wagner, 28, was selected with the 25th pick in the 2018 NBA draft. After three stops in his first three seasons, he was waived toward the end of the 2020-21 season and picked up by Orlando.
The German hooper was in the middle of a career-best year this past season before suffering a season-ending left ACL tear in late December. He averaged career highs of 12.9 points on 56.2% shooting in 30 games (one start).
The older brother of star Franz Wagner, the 6-foot-11 big man became an unrestricted free agent last Sunday after Orlando declined his $11 million club option for the upcoming season.
Wagner is expected to miss the first half of the 2025-26 season as he rehabilitates his ACL injury.
Wagner Was In The Running For NBA Sixth Man Of The Year
Moe Wagner scored in double figures 23 times in the 2024-25 season, including a career-high 32 points in 25 minutes off the bench in a 100-91 home loss to the New York Knicks on Dec. 15.
Wagner has also been an important part of Orlando’s culture under coach Jamahl Mosley. He was the fourth-leading scorer and looked to be in the running as an NBA Sixth Man of the Year candidate before his injury.
“We’ve been playing hard ever since we got here,” Wagner said recently. “That’s what Moe stands for. I know that even if we didn’t win, I know that nobody wants to see us. … I know that playing the Orlando Magic is not a fun night and that’s something we embrace.”
Magic Re-Signed Tyus Jones
This move comes shortly after the Magic signed free agent veteran guard Tyus Jones. He averaged 10.2 points on 44.8% shooting from the floor and a career-best-tying 41.4% from deep last season.
Orlando declined the team options of Gary Harris and Cory Joseph as well. Franz Wagner inked his five-year rookie max extension worth $224 million last July.
With Wagner signed, Orlando has 13 players on standard contracts and sits right below the first apron. The Magic, however, are hard capped at that figure because they used the non-taxpayer mid-level exception to sign Jones.
In addition, the Magic signed first-round pick Jase Richardson to a rookie-scale contract Thursday. They are also expected to sign second-round pick Noah Penda in the days ahead.
