"It brought a certain uncertainty that I felt" - Moritz Wagner on his brother Franz taking on a bigger role than him with the Magic

“It brought a certain uncertainty that I felt” – Moritz Wagner on his brother Franz taking on a bigger role than him with the Magic originally appeared on Basketball Network.

Moritz Wagner recently discussed his mindset evolution over the past few years on the “OMR Podcast.”

A key point the NBA big man highlighted was coming to terms with his brother Franz stepping into a larger role with the Orlando Magic — a shift that initially challenged Moritz but ultimately reshaped his perspective.

Contrasting NBA paths

Born four years apart in Berlin, Germany’s capital, the Wagner brothers have shared a close bond from the start. Side by side through thick and thin, Moritz, the older sibling, always saw himself as the leader — guiding and teaching Franz.

By the early 2020s, that dynamic began to shift. After bouncing between several NBA teams, Moritz was waived by the Magic, the team he had joined late in the 2020-21 season. On the brink of leaving the league, his future was uncertain.

Meanwhile, before the 2021 Draft, Franz was drawing attention from NBA teams as a top lottery pick and one of Europe’s brightest young stars.

Ultimately, the brothers ended up on the Magic roster for the 2021–22 season but under completely different circumstances. Franz, the eighth overall pick from Michigan, was the promising rookie, while Moritz, re-signed after all, fought to keep his spot.

“You have to understand, I came to Orlando in a completely different situation,” recalled Moe. “Franz was drafted the same year I joined, but I was waived. I was on my way out of the league, and Orlando gave me one last shot on a minimum contract.”

The Wagners made it work

Franz and Moritz, aged 23 and 28 respectively, joined the rare group of brothers suiting up for the same NBA team — but the fairytale had its flaws early on.

While the younger Wagner was being groomed as a franchise cornerstone, the older one was forced to adjust to a new reality: he was no longer the one leading the way.

“We play together and everything sounds great, but my situation is that I receive different resources,” Moritz admitted. “Franz is invested in differently — which is no fault of his — but as the older brother who always led the way, is four and a half years older, and has always shown the younger one everything, it was naturally an adjustment for me and also brought a certain uncertainty that I felt.

That shift wasn’t easy. But time — and growth — settled things.

“By now, I have such confidence in my skill and in my profession, and of course I’ve also been able to experience a bit more appreciation that I can completely let go of it and support Franz on his path and be genuinely happy for him — but that it still bothers me or anything like that, no, it’s really all okay the way it is,” said “Moe.”

Today, the brothers — who helped lead Germany to the 2023 FIBA World Championship — are thriving in their ownroles with the Magic.

Franz has emerged as one of the league’s top young wings and looks like a lock for an All-Star nod sooner rather than later. Moritz, meanwhile, has built a reputation as one of the NBA’s most reliable energy bigs off the bench — a spark plug who’s even been in the conversation for Sixth Man of the Year.

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 13, 2025, where it first appeared.

“It brought a certain uncertainty that I felt” – Moritz Wagner on his brother Franz taking on a bigger role than him with the Magic

Tags: