Franz Wagner and Tristan Da Silva Head to Eurobasket

Franz Wagner and Tristan Da Silva Head to Eurobasket

As late as May of this year, Wagner had not decided if he would represent his native Germany in the European competition. His Magic teammate Goga Bitadze had already announced that he would play for Georgia. Wagner announced just a few weeks later that he would be heading to Spain for friendlies under coach Alex Mumbru.  This week, we discovered that his Orlando colleague Tristan Da Silva would be joining him.

That Franz decided to play in the tournament was a surprise to no one. He would be defending his MVP title from 2023, after all. In between all four of his seasons in the NBA, Wagner has burned off postseason blues in Europe. After his rookie season with the Magic, he amazed international fans with his impressive play in the 2022 Eurobasket, securing Germany the bronze for their first podium in 17 years. In that tournament, he averaged 15 points per game, with a noticeable improvement in his three-point shooting and defense.

He led Germany to an undefeated bracket – through Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Greece – and the gold in the 2023 World Cup, where he was bestowed MVP. After a disappointing first-round playoff loss to the Cavs in 2024 – including an admittedly bad performance in Game 7 – Wagner jumped headfirst into the Paris Olympics, joining his brother Moritz Wagner and Dennis Schroder. He scored 18+ points per game in their medal quest, cut short by their loss to Serbia.

No Brothers Wagner, But Brothers Da Silva

Moe Wagner, still recovering from his ACL injury, will not be making the trek with his brother. Franz will not be lonely, however. He’ll be with his teammate in Da Silva, alongside his brother Oscar Da Silva and the returning Schroder. Tristan is coming off a truly successful rookie campaign. After Wagner and Paolo Banchero were sidelined with injuries, Tristan saw significant playing time, playing in 74 games with 38 starts. He averaged 7.2 points per game, scoring a career-high 25 against Toronto and earning praise from coach Jamahl Mosley for his development, poise, and basketball IQ.

More recently, Da Silva was outstanding in Summer League play. In his first game against the Kings, he led the team with 19 points, five rebounds and seven assists. He then went for 18/5/1 against the Raptors. Coach Ameer Bahhur heaped praise on the first-round pick, lauding improvements in both his offense and defense.

Using Summer Play to Improve in the NBA

Using summers to play for Germany has improved the young Wagner, in both his game and attitude. Representing a team in the NBA is a different energy than representing your home in Europe, and he thrives in both. By immersing himself in the 2024 Olympics, he recovered spiritually and professionally from the playoff loss, playing the best ball of his career. Though his three-point percentage has slipped the last two seasons, Wagner has improved in scoring, rebounds, assists, and steals in each of his four seasons. His experience in high pressure games in Europe – like the comeback game against Greece and gold medal match – has been essential to his success in the NBA.

Da Silva joining the German team this August, guided by Wagner, is a welcome opportunity for Orlando. The second-year player will benefit from the competition, just as Wagner did. He will be playing against NBA rivals like Luka Doncic, Giannis, and Kristaps Porzingis, who was just traded to the Magic’s division-rival Hawks. Wagner’s mentoring is invaluable, and his presence and popularity on the team will generate an energy in which Da Silva has not yet experienced. He thrived in his starting position and had the opportunity to play the defending champion Celtics in the playoffs. He excelled under the spotlight in Summer League, and he can seize another moment playing alongside Germany’s most popular player in August.