Tag: Mo Wagner

Magic big man Mo Wagner listed as top Bulls target in free agency

Orlando Magic big man Mo Wagner was listed as a top free agency target for the Chicago Bulls.

The Chicago Bulls have been in a rut for a few seasons, yet the front office has decided not to make any significant moves. Since they added DeMar DeRozan, Alex Caruso, and Lonzo Ball in 2021, the roster has remained almost entirely stagnant while the rest of the league has either pushed forward or hit the reset button.

But since the front office seems hell-bent on competing, they should look to add some quality players in free agency who can help patch up some of the holes on the roster. Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report recently wrote a list of the top free agency targets for every team.

One of the guys he mentioned for the Bulls was Mo Wagner of the Orlando Magic.

“Nikola Vučević is the only rotation-level big currently under contract for the Bulls in 2024-25, so they could certainly use some depth inside,” Bailey wrote.

“Wagner has quietly become one of the league’s better frontcourt reserves. Over the past three seasons, he’s averaged 21.0 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists while shooting 65.3 percent on two-point attempts.”

Adding an energetic big like Wagner could be a big help for Chicago.

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Wolverines as pros: How former Michigan basketball stars are doing in the NBA

They are doing some good things in the NBA this season! #GoBlue

Going back to the John Beilein days at Michigan, the Wolverines have produced some good NBA talent.

Currently, the maize and blue have nine players in the NBA and most of them see significant playing time. There are a couple players that have a difficult time seeing the floor, but most of the former Michigan stars have an important role for their respective teams.

Former players like Zaiver Simpson, Chaundee Brown Jr., and DJ Wilson are still trying to claw their way back into the NBA and are currently in the G-League.

Here are the nine former Michigan basketball players in the NBA and their stats from the 2022-23 season.

Best low-cost wing and big man trade targets for the Boston Celtics

The Celtics may add a wing to help take pressure off of their stars, as well as look at a big man who might be able to ease the minute load on the ball club’s frontcourt.

The Boston Celtics will likely make a move or two ahead of the 2023 NBA trade deadline to add a wing to help take some pressure off of their two stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, as well as taking a look at a big man who might be able to ease the minutes load on the ball club’s frontcourt.

With Brown and Tatum among the highest minutes-per-night players in the league and bigs Al Horford and Robert Williams III likely also playing more than they ought to be in order to be fresh and at their respective peaks for the 2023 NBA Playoffs, both bigs and wings are likely priorities. And with a hefty tax bill already on the table, cheaper solutions in terms of salary and asset cost that would raise the team’s payroll little or not at all will probably be the preferred route.

With that in mind, we put together a comprehensive list of such options the Celtics might target that wouldn’t need more than a first-round pick (and some much less) plus younger prospects in a reasonable deal.

Mo Wagner was punched in the back of the head and then ejected after pushing Killian Hayes

Hayes will likely get suspended for his role in the altercation.

The Pistons and Magic are two of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference this season, but emotions ran high when they faced off on Wednesday.

During the first half of the game in Detroit, the Pistons held a nearly 20-point lead over the Magic. Orlando’s Mo Wagner, who attended college nearby at Michigan, attempted to pick up a loose ball in transition. During this effort, he seemingly shoved Detroit’s Killian Hayes off the court as the ball went out of bounds.

Hayes tripped and fell as Wagner suddenly found himself in enemy territory on Detroit’s bench. He was briefly mixed up with opponents on the sidelines when Hayes stood up and struck him in the back of his head.

Wagner’s knees buckled as the punch appeared to knock him out cold.

The two teams had to be separated following the altercation and once emotions finally calmed, the referees issued their verdict.

Despite getting knocked out, Wagner was issued a Flagrant-2 for his actions on the court and he was ejected from the game. Considering that Wagner was potentially knocked unconscious, it would have been surprising if he could have returned to the floor.

Detroit’s Hayes, as well as his teammate Hamidou Diallo, were both issued technical fouls and ejected for their roles in escalating the altercation.

Hayes will likely get suspended at least one game for striking Wagner.

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Former Celtic center Mo Wagner signs rest-of-season deal with Orlando Magic

The German big man will face Boston with Orlando on May 5.

Boston Celtics short-timer big man Moritz Wagner has found a new team to call home after being cut earlier in April to make room for the Celtics to sign former No. 2 overall pick Jabari Parker.

The German reserve center has inked a rest-of-season deal with the Orlando Magic, ironically one of the teams involved with Boston at the trade deadline though not one involved in the three-team deal that brought him to the Celtics. Wagner, who played in just nine games for Boston between March 26 and April 15, will try his luck with the Florida-based franchise for at least the rest of the 2020-21 NBA season.

While terms of the deal were not disclosed per team policy, the 6-foot-11 big man will have a chance to play the Celtics on May 5, when Boston and Orlando face off for their final meeting of the season.

The German center averaged 1.2 points and 2.1 rebounds with Boston this season.

This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!

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Report: Celtics sign Jabari Parker, waive Mo Wagner

The Boston Celtics have reportedly signed Jabari Parker, the No. 2 pick in the 2014 draft, and waived Mo Wagner.

The Boston Celtics have waived center Mo Wagner and signed power forward Jabari Parker, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.

Parker, the No. 2 pick in the 2014 draft, has averaged 14.8 points and 5.7 per game over his career. He has shot 49.3% from the field and 32.3% from 3.

He has occasional surges, including a 14-game stretch near the beginning of the 2019 season with the Atlanta Hawks where he averaged about 20 points and 7.5 boards per contest, but with poor defense and inconsistencies on the offensive end, he has been unable to find a home since his rookie deal with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Since the beginning of the 2018 season, Parker has played on the Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards, Atlanta Hawks and Sacramento Kings.

Boston will hope he provides some depth at the forward and center positions.

Wagner was acquired in the Daniel Theis trade with the Chicago Bulls. Now that Wagner has been waived, the Celtics’ return for the big was Luke Kornet.

The center had extremely limited playing time in Boston. He appeared in nine games and only averaged 6.8 minutes per contest, leading to averages of 1.2 points and 2.1 rebounds.

Boston’s next game is scheduled for Saturday with an 8:30 p.m. tipoff against the Golden State Warriors.

This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!

Celtics’ Marcus Smart thriving as a defender when switching onto bigs

Boston Celtics wing Marcus Smart, despite standing at just 6-foot-4, has done a phenomenal job defenders players much larger than he is.

Boston Celtics wing Marcus Smart, despite standing at just 6-foot-4, has done a phenomenal job defending players much larger than he is.

The 25-year-old made All-Defensive 1st Team last season but has taken another leap forward with a bigger role this year. His ability to switch on to centers has been a focal point of Boston’s defensive identity and something that allows coach Brad Stevens to use his five-man lineups in a different way than almost any other team in the league.

We looked at all of the opponents that Smart has guarded so far this season, then isolated just the players who are classified as big men by Cleaning the Glass.

Based on this research of 146 possessions, Smart has allowed just 16.3 points per 70 possessions. These players are shooting 36.7 percent from the floor on 30 attempts.

For example, look at when Dallas Mavericks’ Kristaps Porzingis attempted three post-up attempts against Smart on November 12. The 7-foot-3 big was not able to convert any, however, despite the ridiculous size mismatch.

The largest workload came when he guarded Kevin Love for a total of 31.1 possessions during the game Boston played against Cleveland on November 5.

While Smart was guarding Love during the third quarter, the five-time All-Star was left completely flabbergasted to the point where he was forced to take an undeniably bad pass.

Smart, however, tipped the ball and forced a turnover that Robert Williams was able to recover. The guard leads his team with 2.8 deflections per game so far this season. Last season, he recorded more total deflections (228) than all but just one player in the Eastern Conference.

But even more impressive was when the Celtics played the Bucks early in the season on October 30.

Smart matched up against the reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo for 16.9 possessions. The superstar scored just five points and managed only two attempts from the floor. That means Smart held the Milwaukee sensation to less than half of the field goal attempts Antetokounmpo has taken against all other defenders.

Antetokounmpo had three turnovers, was impacted by his defensive presence all game and he even ended up tumbling to the floor amidst a brief scrap with Smart.

Here is what the scrappy defender said after the game, which was a rematch of the Eastern Conference Semifinals (via NBC Sports):

“Every time I’m boxing him out, he’s trying to throw me out the way. It lets me know he’s frustrated, I’m getting to him, especially when he’s not getting to the ball, or he’s not getting to the rim, or he’s not getting the shots that he usually gets.”

Smart also forced New York Knicks star Julius Randle into a frenzy and picked his pocket on the perimeter, creating a transition opportunity for the Celtics.

Other notable matchups against bigs for Smart include his strong showing against Dario Saric. The Phoenix Suns starter took four shots (including a three-pointer) when guarded by Smart but missed all of them.

Another highlight was when the 6-foot-4 wing was able to record a block over 6-foot-11 big man Moritz Wagner in a game against the Washington Wizards.

Smart offers Boston a grittiness that Stevens can trust against and he has played a crucial role in their hot start and placement atop the standings in the East.

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Wizards’ Moritz Wagner leads NBA in charges drawn so far this season

The Washington Wizards received Moritz Wagner, a first-rounder in the 2018 NBA Draft, for pennies on the dollar from the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Washington Wizards received Moritz Wagner, a first-rounder in the 2018 NBA draft, for pennies on the dollar from the Los Angeles Lakers.

Wagner had a career-best performance against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night. The 22-year-old became the first reserve to record 30 points and 15 rebounds in a game since Yao Ming in November 2002.

The most notable takeaway from his first stretch with the Wizards thus far, however, has been his prowess for drawing charing fouls. Wagner, who was on the other end of a controversial charge call while playing for Michigan in 2016, knows exactly how devastating such a foul can be for an opponent.

Washington coach Scott Brooks, meanwhile, recently told Candace Buckner just how important this has been to their identity (via ESPN):

“Mo is willing to get there. He puts himself in those positions. He’s thinking ahead of the play and that’s what we have to do as a defensive team.”

After 10 games, he has been on the receiving end of a league-best 10 charges thus far – including three against the Timberwolves. In fact, there was even a fourth called that was overturned and ruled a block.

His current mark would be tied for 16th-best among all NBA teams, meaning he has personally earned more charges than approximately half of the squads around the league.

Wagner, who does not play starter minutes for his team, is averaging 1.9 charges per 36 minutes for the Wizards. That is by far the best in a season from a player (minimum: 100 minutes) since NBA.com began tracking this particular hustle stat during the 2016-17 season.

For context: the big man recorded just two charges the entire season as a rookie for the Lakers. It has been a remarkable change of pace and something valued by Washington.

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