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Last updated: 9/30/2019
Last updated: 9/30/2019
Last updated: 9/30/2019
Summary
At the start of the '19-'20 season, Wagner was on fire from three, looking like a legitimate pick-and-pop threat for a Wizards team that was all offense and no defense. However, Wagner started to cool off as the season went on, and the Wizards realized how harmful having a big that was as poor defensively as Wagner was to their chances of winning. The Wizards declined the fourth year team option on Wagner's rookie scale contract, and was traded to Boston this season, where he was waived by the Celtics. Wagner signed with the decimated Magic for the rest of this season.
Wagner needs to do one of two things to become a reliable backup center - improve his defense, or hit outside shots at a higher rate. While Wagner is not the most athletic player, plenty of bigs have learned to overcome their athletic limitations on defense through positional awareness and disciplined verticality. Those kinds of bigs that can protect the rim can stick around in the league, even if they can get picked apart at times by being forced to defend in space. If Wagner can get to an above-average percentage from three, he could be a solid backup threat in the same manner of Frank Kaminsky or Mike Muscala. If Wagner doesn't improve in one of those key areas soon, he could find himself out of the league.
Cap Considerations
Wagner will be an unrestricted free agent with a $1.7 million cap hold and Non-Bird Rights. This means that the highest starting salary the Magic could offer him using the Non-Bird Exception is $2.1 million. This should be enough to retain Wagner. Alternatively, the Magic could use their Mid-Level Exception or Bi-Annual Exception to re-sign Wagner if he demands more than $2.1 million.
Other teams will have multiple ways to sign Wagner as even teams without cap space could possibly use any of the Non-Taxpayer MLE, Taxpayer MLE, or possibly even the Room MLE or Bi-Annual Exception to sign him. It's also likely that he could be had on a minimum contract.
Potential Teams: Kings, Raptors, Magic, Hornets, Hawks
Predicted Contract: 1-year, $1.7 million (non-guaranteed) with the Kings
Actual Contract: 2-year, $3.6 million (2nd year non-guaranteed) with the Magic
Wagner returned to the Magic on a two-year minimum contract, where he will get to play with his brother.
Last updated: 8/19/2021
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