What Stood Out About Franz Wagner's Media Day Availability

It's been one week since the Orlando Magic held media day on Sept. 28, and several things stood out about the team that will take the floor in the upcoming NBA season. 

Stars and role players alike sat in front of rows of media members to discuss how their off-seasons went and what they are looking forward to in the 2026-27 campaign. One of the players who spoke was Franz Wagner.

It was an important summer for Wagner, who needed to ensure that he was recovering from the most difficult season of his career. Wagner struggled with multiple lower-body injuries last season, the worst of which was a high ankle sprain he suffered in December that kept him sidelined for the better part of the rest of the season. 

Those struggles culminated in one more tragic blow when he suffered a calf strain in Orlando's Game 4 win over the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the playoffs, which sidelined him for the remainder of the series. Now, he is back in the fold and ready to go, and I talked about what he had to say and his comments that stood out on the latest episode of the Full Court Magic podcast:

"The level of care that Franz Wagner took to make sure that he was rehabbing properly before he even went on vacation this summer. He made sure that he was rehabbing properly after suffering that unfortunate calf strain in game four of the first round last season against the Detroit Pistons.

He made sure to get his body right, and that is so crucial because the Magic need him, and you know he chose not to play in Germany this summer. I mean, Tristan da Silva, his teammate, did, but Franz did not, and he's navigating a lot right now. He's navigating the recovery of his body.

He's navigating playing without his brother Moe, who is with the Brooklyn Nets. I mean, you know, this is all an adjustment period for a young man who just turned 25 years old and is just hitting the prime of his career, but what really stood out to me was how much attention to detail and care he put into making sure he was ready to go for the gauntlet that is an 82-game season. 

You know, the Magic will only be at their best if Wagner is at his best, and we have plenty of proof and precedent to show us that is the case. So, hoping for a healthy season from him as he continues to do what's necessary to remain on the court."

Want to see the full episode? Click the link below!