Franz Wagner (basketball)

Franz Wagner

Wagner with Germany in 2023
No. 22–Orlando Magic
Position	Small forward
League	NBA
Personal information
Born	(2001-08-27) 27 August 2001 (age 23) Berlin, Germany
Listed height	6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Listed weight	220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
College	Michigan (2019–2021)
NBA draft	2021: 1st round, 8th overall pick
Selected by the Orlando Magic
Playing career	2017–2019; 2021–present
Career history
2017–2019	Alba Berlin
2018–2019	→SSV Lokomotive Bernau
2021–present	Orlando Magic
Career highlights and awards
NBA All-Rookie First Team (2022) Bundesliga Best German Young Player (2019) Second-team All-Big Ten – Coaches (2021) Third-team All-Big Ten – Media (2021) First-team Academic All-American (2021) Big Ten All-Freshman Team (2020)
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball Reference
Medals Men's basketball Representing   Germany FIBA World Cup 2023 Philippines–Japan–Indonesia EuroBasket 2022 Germany

Franz Jacob Wagner (born 27 August 2001) is a German professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Michigan Wolverines.

Wagner, a native of Berlin, started his career with Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) club Alba Berlin. In 2019, he was named BBL Best German Young Player. Wagner has played for the German youth national teams, winning a gold medal at the 2018 Albert Schweitzer Tournament.

His older brother Moritz Wagner, a former Michigan standout, also plays for the Orlando Magic.

Recruiting

Wagner was considered a four-star recruit by 247Sports and Rivals. ^{[1] [2]} Among the NCAA Division I programs that recruited him were Butler, Michigan, and Stanford. ^[3] On July 6, 2019, Wagner committed to play college basketball for Michigan under head coach Juwan Howard. ^[4] In doing so, he turned down an opportunity to sign a professional contract with Alba Berlin. ^[5]

College recruiting information

Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	Commit date
Franz Wagner SF	Berlin, Germany	Alba Berlin	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	Jul 6, 2019
	Star ratings: Rivals:     247Sports:
Overall recruiting rankings:   247Sports: 43
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Michigan 2019 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved September 2, 2019. "2019 Michigan Wolverines Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 2, 2019. "2019 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved September 2, 2019.

College career

On October 21, 2019, Wagner fractured his right wrist and was expected to miss four to six weeks. ^[6] He made his season debut for the Wolverines on November 27, 2019, and finished the game with six points, three rebounds, and one block in 23 minutes in an 83–76 victory over Iowa State in the quarterfinals of the Battle 4 Atlantis. ^{[7] [8]} On December 6, Wagner posted a career-high 18 points in a 103–91 victory over Iowa in its Big Ten Conference season opener, as Michigan had six double-digit scorers, including all five starters. ^{[9] [10]} On March 1, 2020, Wagner posted 18 points and 10 rebounds for his first career double-double in a 63–77 loss to Ohio State. ^{[11] [12]} Following the regular season, he was named to the 2020 Big Ten All-Freshman team. ^{[13] [14]}

During his sophomore season, Wagner posted 14 double-figure games and four 20+ point games, he averaged 13.0 points per game with 6.3 rebounds, a team-high 30 steals and a second-best 23 blocks. Following the season he was named second-team All-Big Ten by the coaches and third-team by the media. ^{[15] [16] [17]} On May 4, 2021, he declared for the 2021 NBA draft forgoing his remaining college eligibility. ^[18]

Professional career

Alba Berlin (2017–2019)

In the 2018–19 season, Wagner played on a dual contract for both Alba Berlin in the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL), top German league, and SSV Lokomotive Bernau in the third-tier ProB league. In May 2019, he won the BBL Best Young Player Award. ^[19] In Game 2 of the BBL Finals against Bayern Munich, Wagner scored a team-high 14 points, making all six of his shots. ^[20] By the end of the season, he was averaging 4.6 points in 12.4 minutes per game in the BBL and played limited minutes in the EuroCup. ^[21]

Orlando Magic (2021–present)

Wagner was selected with the eighth pick in the 2021 NBA draft by the Orlando Magic. ^[22] He and fellow lottery pick Jalen Suggs signed with the Magic on August 3. ^[23] Wagner posted his first NBA double-double with a career-high 11 rebounds and 14 points as well as 6 assists on December 18 against the Brooklyn Nets. ^[24] On December 27, 2021, Wagner put up a career-high 38 points in a 127–110 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. ^[25] Wagner was named the NBA Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for games played in December. ^[26] Wagner's second NBA double-double occurred on January 12, 2022, against the Washington Wizards when he upped his career-high assist plateau from 6 to 10 and added 14 points. ^[27] This marked the first time a Magic rookie forward had ever posted 10 or more assists in a game. ^{[28] [ non-primary source needed ]} Following the 2021–22 NBA season he was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. ^[29]

On November 5, 2022, Wagner scored a season-high 31 points and recorded six assists in a 126–123 overtime loss to the Sacramento Kings. ^[30] On December 29, he was suspended by the NBA for one game without pay due to coming off the bench during an altercation in a game against the Detroit Pistons the day before. ^[31] Wagner finished his sophomore season averaging 18.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. ^[32]

On April 27, 2024, Wagner recorded 34 points on 13-of-17 shooting, along with 13 rebounds to lift the Magic to a 112–89 victory in Game 4 as Orlando tied their First Round series with the Cleveland Cavaliers 2–2. ^[33]

On July 6, 2024, the Magic signed Wagner to a contract extension. ^[34] On November 21, Wagner had a season-high 37 points, along with six rebounds, 11 assists, four steals and scored a game-winning three-pointer in a 119–118 victory against the Los Angeles Lakers. ^[35] On December 6, Wagner put up 30 points, five rebounds, five assists, one steal, and one block in a 102–94 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. He achieved his third-consecutive 30-point game for the second time in his career, joining Shaquille O’Neal and Tracy McGrady as the only players in Magic franchise history to score at least 30 points in at least three consecutive games multiple times. ^[36] On December 7, 2024, it was announced that Wagner had suffered from a torn right oblique, an injury which teammate Paolo Banchero suffered earlier in the season. Wagner's status will be re-evaluated after 4 weeks, and has left him out indefinitely. ^[37]

National team career

Wagner with the German U18 team at the Albert Schweitzer Tournament in 2018

Wagner played for Germany at the 2017 FIBA U16 European Championship in Podgorica, Montenegro. In five games, he averaged 7.4 points per game as his team finished in 13th place. ^[38] In 2018, Wagner averaged six points per game and helped Germany win the gold medal at the Albert Schweitzer Tournament, an under-18 competition in Mannheim, Germany. ^[39] In the 2019 FIBA U18 European Championship in Volos, Greece, he averaged 13 points and 4.8 rebounds per game, leading his team to 11th place. He missed one game with a back injury. ^[40] In EuroBasket 2022, he averaged 16.1 points and 4 rebounds per game, beating Poland in his home city of Berlin to take home bronze for Germany. ^[41]

In 2023, Wagner became world champion, winning gold at the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup with the German national team. It was the first time that Germany won this event. In recognition of his individual play, Wagner was named to the All-FIBA World Cup Second Team. ^[42]

At the 2024 Olympics, after going unbeaten in Group B and winning over Greece in the quarterfinals, Germany lost to France, 69–73, in the semifinals. In the bronze medal game, Germany lost to Serbia 83–93. Wagner averaged 18.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.0 steals in 6 games played. For his play, he was named named to the tournament's All-Second Team. ^[43]

Honours

• BBL Best Young Player Award: 2018–19 ^[44]
• NBA All-Rookie First Team: 2021 ^[45]
• All-FIBA World Cup Second Team: 2023 ^[46]

Career statistics

Legend

GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field goal percentage	3P%	3-point field goal percentage	FT%	Free throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game	Bold	Career high

NBA

Regular season

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2021–22	Orlando	79	79	30.7	.468	.354	.863	4.5	2.9	.9	.4	15.2
2022–23	Orlando	80	80	32.6	.485	.361	.842	4.1	3.5	1.0	.2	18.6
2023–24	Orlando	72	72	32.5	.482	.281	.850	5.3	3.7	1.1	.4	19.7
Career		231	231	31.9	.479	.332	.850	4.6	3.4	1.0	.3	17.8

Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2024	Orlando	7	7	37.1	.408	.265	.886	6.9	4.4	.7	1.3	18.9
Career		7	7	37.1	.408	.265	.886	6.9	4.4	.7	1.3	18.9

College

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2019–20	Michigan	27	27	30.8	.452	.311	.833	5.6	1.0	1.3	.6	11.6
2020–21	Michigan	28	28	31.7	.477	.343	.835	6.5	3.0	1.3	1.0	12.5
Career		55	55	31.2	.465	.325	.835	6.1	2.0	1.3	.8	12.0

Personal life

Wagner is the younger brother of National Basketball Association (NBA) player Moritz Wagner, his teammate on the Orlando Magic. ^[5] Moritz played three seasons of college basketball for Michigan and was a first-round pick in the 2018 NBA draft. ^[47]

References

1. "Franz Wagner, 2019 Small forward". Rivals.com . Retrieved September 1, 2019.
2. "Franz Wagner, Germany, Small Forward". 247Sports.com . Retrieved September 1, 2019.
3. Daniels, Evan (March 5, 2019). "German star Franz Wagner considering college, pro options". 247Sports.com . Retrieved September 1, 2019.
4. "German Guard Franz Wagner Signs, Will Join Wolverines This Fall". University of Michigan Athletics. Retrieved July 7, 2019.
5. "Franz Wagner in Michigan – "Ich musste selber entscheiden"". Süddeutsche Zeitung (in German). July 16, 2019. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
6. Sang, Orion (October 21, 2019). "Michigan basketball's Franz Wagner to miss 4–6 weeks with fractured right wrist". Detroit Free Press . Retrieved October 21, 2019.
7. "Michigan beats Iowa State 83–76 in Battle 4 Atlantis". ESPN. Associated Press. November 27, 2019. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
8. Wywrot, Tom (November 27, 2019). "Michigan Earns Victory over Iowa State in Battle 4 Atlantis Quarterfinal". MGoBlue.com. CBS Interactive . Retrieved November 27, 2019.
9. "No. 4 Michigan tops Iowa 103–91 despite 44 points from Garza". ESPN. Associated Press. December 6, 2019. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
10. Wywrot, Tom (December 6, 2019). "Michigan Rolls Past Iowa Behind Six Double-Figure Scorers". MGoBlue.com. CBS Interactive . Retrieved December 6, 2019.
11. "No. 23 Buckeyes surge late to beat No. 19 Michigan 77–63". ESPN. Associated Press. March 1, 2020. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
12. Wywrot, Tom (March 1, 2020). "Wagner Goes for First Double-Double, but U-M Falls to Ohio State". MGoBlue.com. CBS Interactive . Retrieved March 1, 2020.
13. "Big Ten Unveils Men's Basketball Postseason Honors on BTN" (Press release). Big Ten Conference. March 9, 2020. Archived from the original on March 9, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
14. Wywrot, Tom (March 9, 2020). "Simpson Named All-Big Ten Second Team; Wagner on All-Freshman Team". MGoBlue.com. CBS Interactive . Retrieved March 9, 2020.
15. "Michigan Wolverines basketball's Franz Wagner is pegged to be a first-round NBA pick". April 8, 2021.
16. "2020–21 Big Ten Men's Basketball Postseason Honors Announced". BigTen.org. March 9, 2021. Archived from the original on March 9, 2021. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
17. Wywrot, Tom (March 9, 2021). "Dickinson, Howard Headline Big Ten Awards as Top Freshman, Coach". MGoBlue.com. CBS Interactive . Retrieved March 9, 2021.
18. Wojnarowski, Adrian (May 4, 2021). "Michigan Wolverines' Franz Wagner enters 2021 NBA draft". ESPN . Retrieved May 9, 2021.
19. "easyCredit – Franz Wagner". easycredit-bbl.de. Retrieved May 13, 2019.
20. "Bayern vor der Titelverteidigung? München holt sich mit 82:77 in Berlin den zweiten Sieg in der Finalserie". easycredit-bbl.de. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
21. "Franz Wagner Player Profile". RealGM . Retrieved September 2, 2019.
22. Zuke, Ryan (July 29, 2021). "Franz Wagner becomes Michigan basketball's first top-10 pick since 2014, drafted by Orlando Magic". MLive.com . Retrieved July 30, 2021.
23. "Orlando Magic Sign Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner". National Basketball Association. August 3, 2021. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
24. Cali, Mike (December 19, 2021). "Magic 100, Nets 93: Magic prevail in battle of two undermanned teams". SB Nation . Retrieved May 5, 2022.
25. Bell, Justin (December 27, 2021). "Magic rookie Franz Wagner's monster night hits milestone franchise hasn't seen in 31 years". ClutchPoints. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
26. "Franz Wagner, Josh Giddey named NBA Rookies of the Month". National Basketball Association. January 4, 2022. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
27. "Magic's Franz Wagner: Dishes 10 assists in loss". CBS Sports . January 12, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
28. "@OrlandoMagic status update". January 12, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022– via Twitter.
29. "Barnes, Cunningham, Mobley headline 2021–22 Kia NBA All-Rookie 1st Team". National Basketball Association. May 18, 2022. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
30. "Magic's Franz Wagner: Season-high 31 points". CBSSports.com. November 5, 2022. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
31. "NBA announces suspensions from Pistons-Magic game". National Basketball Association. December 29, 2022. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
32. "Franz Wagner Stats, News, Bio". ESPN. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
33. "Magic Tie Series 2-2 After Comeback vs. Cavaliers". Sports Illustrated. April 27, 2024. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
34. "Orlando Magic Sign Franz Wagner to Contract Extension". NBA.com. July 6, 2024. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
35. Woike, Dan (November 21, 2024). "Lakers' six-game winning streak ends in late collapse to Orlando Magic". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved November 28, 2024.
36. Ojeda, Julian (July 7, 2024). "Franz Wagner joins Shaquille O'Neal, Tracy McGrady amid blistering scoring stretch". ClutchPoints. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
37. "Magic's Franz Wagner suffers same injury as Paolo Banchero". Orlando Sentinel. December 7, 2024. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
38. "Franz Jacob Wagner (GER)'s profile – FIBA U16 European Championship Division A 2017". FIBA . Retrieved September 2, 2019.
39. Sang, Orion (July 6, 2019). "Franz Wagner, brother of Moritz, picks Wolverines". Detroit Free Press . Retrieved September 2, 2019.
40. Burkhardt, Dylan (August 5, 2019). "What we learned about Franz Wagner at FIBA U18 Euros". UM Hoops. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
41. Mickens, Jorie (September 16, 2022). "Franz 'The Wunderkind' Wagner shines in EuroBasket tournament". Orlando Pinstriped Post. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
42. "World Cup 2023 All-Second Team, Best Coach and Best Defensive Player Awards revealed". FIBA. September 10, 2023. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
43. "Gilgeous-Alexander, Bogdanovic, F. Wagner, Yabusele, Antetokounmpo named to Paris 2024 All-Second Team". FIBA.basketball. August 10, 2024. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
44. "17-Jähriger gewinnt den Titel: Franz Wagner ist "Bester deutscher Nachwuchsspieler U22"". easycredit-bbl.de. May 8, 2019.
45. "NBA All Rookie 1st team". National Basketball Association. May 19, 2022.
46. "World Cup 2023 All-Second Team, Best Coach and Best Defensive Player Awards revealed". FIBA. September 10, 2023. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
47. "Moritz Wagner". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved September 2, 2019.

External links

• Career statistics from NBA.com    and  Basketball Reference  
• Michigan Wolverines bio