Franz Wagner has another level to reach with EuroBasket surge

Apr 15, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (22) controls the ball against the Atlanta Hawks in the third quarter at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

We are hours from the EuroBasket 2025 Final between Germany and Turkey. Germany, headlined by Orlando Magic star forward Franz Wagner (and second-year forward Tristan da Silva), is coming off a statement 98-86 win over Finland in the semifinals.

Sunday will mark Germany's third-ever appearance in the EuroBasket Final -- hoping to secure its first EuroBasket title since 1993. And none of it could've come without Wagner, who has assumed a healthy amount of on-ball reps through eight EuroBasket games.

To nobody's surprise, Franz Wagner has another level to reach offensively:

In EuroBasket, Wagner, 24, is averaging 21.1 points in 26.1 minutes per game, shooting 51.2 percent from the floor, 31.3 percent from 3-point range and 85.1 percent from the free-throw line. In addition to his dynamic scoring, he's averaging 5.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.3 steals.

If you scale his numbers per-36 minutes, he's averaging 29.1 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.8 steals. More importantly, his scoring surge has come in spite of him struggling to consistently shoot from deep -- an area that's plagued him over the last two years.

Nevertheless, Wagner has had little issue self-creating in the halfcourt, where he's gotten to the free-throw line an average of 8.4 times per contest. He's never averaged more than 5.2 attempts at the NBA level. Part of that has been his role alongside star wing Paolo Banchero, but his free-throw rate in EuroBasket (59.8 FTr) is far superior to what it has been through four NBA seasons (26.9 FTr).

Nobody is expecting him to get that kind of NBA whistle. But he's continued to show that he's more than comfortable shouldering a heavy burden offensively.

Of course, EuroBasket competition a completely different level than what he'll face over an 82-game season. But Wagner's ability to problem-solve as a primary creator will undoubtedly inject confidence heading into the 2025-26 season.

We saw it after last year's Olympics. Don't be surprised if he takes another sizable leap, where he and Banchero have the potential to be one of the East's top duos.

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