Free agent big man Moritz Wagner is making the move from Orlando to Brooklyn, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, who reports (via Twitter) that Wagner and the Nets have agreed to a two-year, $19MM contract.
Scotto adds that the second year will include a mutual option, similar to the one the Nets are also giving guard Keon Ellis on his two-year, $18MM deal. That has been described as an option that will trigger if either side picks it up, meaning both sides would need to decline it in order for Wagner to return to free agency in 2027.
Wagner has been on Orlando’s roster since the middle of the 2020/21 season. He’s regularly served as a backup big but his career was sidetracked when he suffered a torn ACL in his left knee in December 2024,
Wagner returned to play 36 games this past season, contributing 6.9 points and 3.6 rebounds in 11.9 minutes per game. He wasn’t part of the Magic’s rotation in the playoffs, receiving just 13 garbage-time minutes. With Orlando pivoting to Nikola Vucevic in free agency, Wagner became expendable.
Brooklyn’s center rotation is in flux with Nic Claxton heading to Chicago, Wagner will battle second-year big man Danny Wolf and Day’Ron Sharpe for playing time. Wagner could also see action at the power forward spot behind Julius Randle.
With the addition of Wagner, Brooklyn could have just under $25MM in cap space remaining if the Nets structure one of their signings into the room mid-level exception, cap expert Yossi Gozlan tweets. They are currently out of the mix to offer another free agent a max contract ($41.2MM).
