What Moritz Wagner Brings to the Brooklyn Nets

A day after signing guard Keon Ellis to a deal, the Brooklyn Nets added another free agent to their roster.

They signed former Orlando Magic big man Moe Wagner to a two-year, $19 million contract on Wednesday. For a team that needs frontcourt depth, Wagner is a good low-risk, high-reward move. When healthy, he's a very competent player who brings value to his team.

The big question now for Brooklyn is what Wagner's role will be next season. Could he start some games for the Nets, or will he be more of a bench option for Jordi Fernandez? Here's a look at what Wagner can bring to the Nets.

Evaluating Wagner's Role in Brooklyn

Wagner has dealt with injuries the past few seasons. He's only played in 66 total games the last two seasons after an ACL injury suffered in December of 2024. In the 30 games he played before that injury, Wagner put together a career-best stretch. He averaged 12.9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, shooting 56.2% from the field.

His last fully healthy season came in 2022-23, when he played 80 games for Orlando. In those games, he put up 10.9 points and 4.3 rebounds a night and shot just over 60%. He's a career 32.3% shooter from the three-point line, a shot that could help Brooklyn space the floor when he's on the court. Finding a little more consistency there would do him wonders.

Defensively, he holds his own. Wagner won't ever be the defensive anchor of a team, as he struggles to protect the rim with below-average athleticism. But he makes up for that with well-timed hustle plays and lots of energy. He's serviceable enough on that end.

Wagner has never had a qualified season in which he averaged over 20 minutes a game. That note, alongside the return of Day'Ron Sharpe, should indicate what his role will be with the Nets to start next season. He'll be the first big man off the bench for Fernandez. The Nets get better defensive play out of Sharpe, which is especially important with Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle also in the starting lineup.

Brooklyn needs as many quality defenders out there with those two as they can get. Sharpe is better equipped to be that guy. Despite that, Wagner will play an important role on this team. He'll be a key veteran on what should be a young bench unit. Guys like Danny Wolf and Joshua Jefferson can learn from him and improve their games. He should see decent minutes for a Nets team looking to improve next season.

All in all, the signing of Wagner won't make a ton of headlines, but it's a solid move for the Nets' front office. They get a player who's been around the block, can contribute offensively, and serve as a mentor to a young roster. The upside of this signing far outweighs the risk. Sean Marks did well here.

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