The Orlando Magic haven’t been a relevant team in the NBA for quite some time, but the struggling franchise might finally be putting something together with some talented young players that might be ready to take it to another level.
One of those young players in Orlando is former first-round draft pick Moritz Wagner, who recently agreed to a new contract with the Magic.
According to NBA insider Keith Smith, Wagner’s new deal with the team comes at a fairly reasonable price over the next two seasons, which includes a team option in the second year.
Mortiz Wagner’s new contract with the Orlando Magic is $8M flat for each of the next two seasons, a league source told @spotrac.
2024-25 is a team option for the Magic.
Wagner also waived his implied no-trade clause in the deal.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) July 13, 2023
Although it remains to be seen what the true potential of this young team is moving forward, Orlando does have a legitimate star to build around in the form of reigning NBA Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero.
The Magic selected Banchero out of Duke with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft and were pleasantly surprised with his production during his first season in Orlando.
Even though Banchero’s strong first season with the team didn’t result in many wins, with the team going 34-48, optimism is starting to build in Orlando, with the team also having some other young players coming into their own.
Ironically enough, Franz Wagner, Moritz’s brother, has also been a solid addition to the Magic, along with Cole Anthony, Markelle Fultz, and Wendell Carter Jr.
It’ll be interesting to see if this young team can put it all together next season and make a push for the playoffs or a spot in the Play-in Tournament in the Eastern Conference.
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The Magic Announce That They Have A New GM