Mo Wagner ended a five-year tenure with the Orlando Magic, leaving his brother in the Sunshine State while he signed a two-year deal with the Brooklyn Nets.
Wagner is earning $9 million next season and $9.45 million in the 2027-28 season. The second year includes a mutual option, which either Wagner or Brooklyn could opt into to continue their partnership.
He's filling the backup center vacancy created by the Julius Randle trade before Day 1 of the NBA draft. Brooklyn traded Nicolas Claxton, its starter, to the Chicago Bulls, effectively promoting Day'Ron Sharpe as his replacement.
At $9 million, Wagner could be the team's most underrated acquisition this offseason.
The 6-foot-11 forward/center gives the Nets offensive versatility they've lacked at center since Brook Lopez left in 2017. He's a confident three-point shooter, shooting catch-and-shoot attempts in one fluid motion.
Wagner has shot a career 32.3% from beyond the arc, which is below the 35% league average, but the confidence is an encouraging sign. There is no hesitation when left wide open; he'll attempt to make the defense pay.
He has good timing in the pick-and-roll game, slipping the screen and forcing the defender to choose between guarding the downhill driver or cutting off the roller. Oftentimes, teams prioritized stopping the paint penetration in those actions, leading to an easy bucket for Wagner in the paint.
Brooklyn has an abundance of ball-handlers in Mikel Brown Jr., Egor Dëmin, Ben Saraf and Nolan Traoré. Any of the guards can develop a strong two-man game with Wagner to create efficient offense down the stretch in close games.
Availability is his Achilles heel, though. Wagner tore his left ACL in December 2024, limiting him to 30 games that season and to 36 games last season.
The Nets have dealt with their fair share of injuries, which contributed to a 20-62 record. Dëmin went down with plantar fasciitis, Michael Porter Jr. sustained an ankle sprain late in the season and Sharpe underwent season-ending surgery to repair a torn right UCL.
Brooklyn cannot afford to endure the injury bug with Sharpe and Wagner as its center rotation. Its depth is thin, and while the former Magic forward/center can serve as the backup, he's never started more than 18 games in a season.
Wagner's versatility could be key to the Nets' success next season. He is part of an overhauled roster infused with veteran talent to raise the team's floor and be more competitive in close games.
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