Orlando Magic Star Behind Only LeBron James, Kevin Durant In Ranking

The Orlando Magic have one of the best small forwards in the league in German star Franz Wagner.

HoopsHype insider Frank Urbina listed Wagner as the third-best small forward in the league going into the season.

"Outside of his outside shooting, he has been a fantastic player so far early on in his career, as he’s an elite slashing scorer thanks to his slipperiness and underrated first step. He can also score off the dribble from the midrange with his solid pull-up jumper. Only 12 players in the NBA last season put up a 24/5/4 stat line, with Wagner being one of them. He also ranked Top 40 league-wide in both VORP and BPM for 2024-25," Urbina wrote.

"If Wagner can at least get his three-point shooting to the level it was at over his first two campaigns, he should very well achieve All-Star honors for the first time in his career next season."

Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner warms up before game four of first round for the NBA Playoffs. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

While Wagner's 3-point shooting has taken a dive, making just 28.9 percent of his shots behind the arc in the last two years, the Magic have one of the best players in the league at the small forward position.

Only Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant and Los Angeles Lakers icon LeBron James ranked higher than Wagner on the list.

That's very high praise for Wagner, who enters his fifth season in the league with the Magic. He was the No. 8 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft and has continued to grow into one of the best players in the league.

The Magic's ascent from one of the league's worst teams to the best started when the team took Wagner in the draft and he has been a huge part of Orlando becoming a playoff contender.

Wagner still has time to grow for the Magic and he will celebrate his 24th birthday later this month. He's signed on with the Magic for the next five seasons, so the team views him as an important part of the future for many years to come.

Wagner and the Magic will report back to the team's practice facility for training camp next month.

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