Apr 27, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (22) warms up before game four of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the Boston Celtics at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Magic's Franz Wagner, Desmond Bane Hoping To Make Crowning Achievement

Originally posted on Orlando Magic on SI
By Andrew Cherico | Last updated Aug 21, 2025 8:12 AM ET

Despite the Orlando Magic’s major offseason moves to push for an NBA Finals run, Desmond Bane’s arrival won’t matter if Franz Wagner doesn’t continue to improve. Wagner looked like an All-NBA candidate before his injury, but a noticeable hitch hurt his shooting once he returned. If Wagner regains his confidence and Bane delivers as an elite perimeter threat, both could earn All-Star consideration next season.

Sam Vecenie of The Athletic recently named Wagner and Bane among next season’s best duos to never make an A ll-Star game, citing the immediate impact they could have.

"What makes Franz so special is the variety of ways that he can just get you right," Vecenie said. "He is a great all screen player. He can grab and go on the break and get out and transition. He is a terrific cutter off the ball, like I think that dude is one of the best cutters in the league. He is fantastic at attacking closeouts. The jumper is a total mess, and I don't know really what has happened there, frankly, for him, you know, has never been an elite shooter."

"Franz was well on track to making an All-Star Game prior to his injury last season," Vecenie added. "And frankly, I had him, if I remember correctly, on the quarter mark awards that we did as an all-NBA guy, like I thought he had been one of the 10 best players in the league up until that injury."

Breaking the 20-point average for the first time last season marked a key step in Wagner’s development, as he grew into a reliable scorer with 24.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists. Despite the breakout offensively, Wagner struggled from deep in the playoffs, shooting just 18.9 percent from three.

Bane is coming off a down year with the Memphis Grizzlies, averaging 19.2 points per game. Still, his near 20-point production projects as a major boost for a Magic offense that finished last in both three-point shooting and assists, making him a “perfect fit.”

"He's a tough defender, physical and strong," Vecenie said. "For the way that the Magic want to play. I'm not sure that there was a player apparently available on the market that made more sense for Orlando to go get, given their needs of shooting. Their desired style of like physical, tough defense, and what Desmond brings on that end, and their need for like, just one more body, like, as a playmaker on the perimeter with the ball in his hands. I think he's probably the best guy they possibly could have gotten. So I'm excited to see what it looks like in Orlando this year."