Celtics Waive Wagner
The Celtics waived Moe Wagner to make room for the just-signed Jabari Parker.
https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1383202930958987265
April 16th, 2021 at 10:11 PM ^
Bring him back here.
The NCAA won't care.
April 16th, 2021 at 10:14 PM ^
Why would he want to be Hunter's backup?
April 16th, 2021 at 10:20 PM ^
Why don't we just agree that neither guy would be able to guard the other one and leave it at that
Hunter at the 5, Mo at the 4, Johns at the 3, Franz at the 2, Brooks at the 1? Interesting
April 16th, 2021 at 10:18 PM ^
Take note, Franz!
April 17th, 2021 at 12:03 AM ^
Don't take that lottery money Franz! LOL
April 17th, 2021 at 12:10 PM ^
The money will most likely still be there in a year's time. The question is whether it matters to him to start getting paid at age 19 or 20.
April 17th, 2021 at 12:30 PM ^
There are also the questions of whether he'd like to start his second contract a year sooner, whether he'd like to have an additional year in his earning prime, whether he'd like to begin the concerted development of a full-time basketball player a year earlier, whether he'd like to lock in a draft projection that's not guaranteed to be there next year, etc.
If he's getting lottery projections, it's absolutely a smart call to go pro.
And, although we don't want to think about it, there is always a chance of injury. (Talk to Messieures Livers, Butt, et al)
I would love to have the opportunity to make such a mistake.
April 16th, 2021 at 10:19 PM ^
Ugh, I was worried that he was slipping toward the fringe of the league.
He’s the right player for the right team, unfortunately that will always keep him on the edges
April 16th, 2021 at 10:35 PM ^
Would like to see the Grizz sign him for the bench mob. Regardless, he’ll sign fast.
April 16th, 2021 at 10:46 PM ^
This makes me sad for Mo, I'm really surprised he's had to bounce around the league.
Maybe Franz should make a serious note of this and consider rounding out his game more before declaring for the draft.
April 16th, 2021 at 10:51 PM ^
I'm cumming back.
April 16th, 2021 at 10:51 PM ^
I'd say you get a better chance to round out your game by practicing and playing with pro players and coaches.
April 16th, 2021 at 10:57 PM ^
Hurts to say it, but it’s true.
Jordan Poole comes to mind
April 16th, 2021 at 11:37 PM ^
I think we all agree with this but then i think of Duncan Robinson and Timmy Hardaway and I wonder. Maybe good coaching is good coaching even if full time basketball seems the better option for growth.
The 2 most successful UM players that played for JB are Duncan Robinson and Levert, neither left early. Hardaway obviously got the big payday and may have found a decent role in Dallas.
All the other JB guys who left early have basically underperformed. It’s quite surprising.
Why is it surprising? Almost no Michigan players were expected to be that good in the league. Plenty of guys who stayed 4 years aren't playing in the NBA. I'd say a large majority have turned out just as expected. Most weren't rated that highly. Duncan is really the only outlier, and even then it makes some sense since we knew he was great from 3. Levert we didn't really know because he was injured so much at Michigan, but he had a high ceiling.
So Livers could be Levert 2.0? ?
I wouldn't say Trey Burke underperformed... Dude has maximized his athletic potential in the L
Did you expect Mo to be a star? He has limited athleticism and wasn't a great defender even in college. He could be a bit more successful, but he's about where most would expect. Also, he's made a lot of money already and can probably play in Europe into his 30s. I envy him.
Yeah I always thought he could out-grit his lack of defense if he could just pull down a few more rebounds per game. Fact is, he is a weapon by his ability to spread the floor, but he’s only shooting 30% from 3 in his NBA career. He’s decent from 2 and shoots 81% from the line when he gets there, but I feel like he needs to have more offensive production if he’s going to be a ghost on defense and the glass. He can definitely hoop overseas or something for a solid career
The nba is an incredibly skilled league. He was always a fringe talent, it’s not all that surprising
Unfortunately for Mo, his game seems to be much more limited than Franz. He is not the defender that Franz is and his shooting motion is not as consistent as it needs to be. I know next to nothing about scouting basketball but I’d assume Franz has more staying power than Mo due to his defensive abilities.
I love the Wagner brothers and hope Mo can find a good fit for his game.
April 19th, 2021 at 12:01 PM ^
Franz plays elite defense and in the NBA switch everything defense, he can guard positions 1-4. Franz is well suited as a 3 and D guy in the NBA and will stick in the league. Mo couldn't play much D in college and was always going to be a huge liability in the NBA because of that.
While I generally agree, the counterpoint is Duncan Robinson. His college defense was equally lacking. While his shooting got his foot in the door, the fact that he now plays passable defense is why he has a shot to be a long term NBA contributor.
Is Moritz significantly less athletic than Duncan?
April 16th, 2021 at 11:48 PM ^
Jabari Parker has proved to be a cancer everywhere he has been. It’s too bad Moe lost his spot to him.
April 17th, 2021 at 12:37 PM ^
Has he been a cancer? I realize he's been constantly injured.
April 17th, 2021 at 12:22 AM ^
Moe looked terrible in Boston. I was really excited for him to go there, but it didn’t work at all. Last night was the final straw, as he was part of a unit that turned a 24 point lead into a 7 point lead in about 3 minutes, necessitating the starters return to the floor to finish off the game. His 3 turnovers and 3 fouls in that span was a big part of the problem.
April 17th, 2021 at 12:23 AM ^
The Celtics never wanted Wagner. They just made the deal to get under the luxury cap. They were barely playing him. He only got double-digit minutes in one game.
Hopefully this will allow him to sign with someone who can use him. He may never be more than a 10-15 minute a game backup, but he's still valuable for some bench minutes.
April 17th, 2021 at 12:38 AM ^
Rumors are the Heat will sign him
April 17th, 2021 at 12:56 AM ^
Hoping Mo lands with a team that has a history of developing players... Spurs, Raptors, Miami all come to mind...
Half the battle, imo, is the mental side of things...Mo has enough talent to be a guy - maybe not a starter, but a valuable piece. He just needs to find a team that can help him to unlock that.
Hot take. Wagners don't wear green.
Hopefully Mo catches on with another team but not surprised he is getting close to out of the league. Kid can’t guard his shadow.
Big difference between Franz and Mo. Franz can lock down and will have a legit place in the league. Now if he develops a left hand with counter moves he has a chance to be very good.
sounds like that development will take about one more year in college based on my analysis.
I heard he wants to be 40% from 3 and able to rise up inside the line and knock them down as well. Word has it Beilein was out for the AZ job as soon as Franz hired him to be his shooting coach. Get this; contract length? 2 years.
April 17th, 2021 at 12:10 PM ^
He’ll find a home somewhere. He was a solid stretch big for Washington when he was given a chance. Just a weird situation with Boston. There’s been some Miami buzz which would be a great fit for him
April 17th, 2021 at 12:20 PM ^
Any solid defensive nba teams need an offensive big? Seems like defensive bigs are more desired in today’s nba.
Stauskas and Moe - two people I was certain would find regular rotation in the NBA. The NBA is strange.
Stauskus I agree with. Mo I do not. I’m surprised he lasted this long. I’m glad Mo was a Wolverine but he struggled to guard anyone in college and he isn’t putting up 30 to mask that issue in NBA
This is a guy who could have improved his floor ten fold under Juwan. If Moe had his current game plus the Austin Davis first year leap, he could be an offensive weapon up to 20 mpg
No doubt he should have stayed and continued to develop.. I know he was a first round pick (as was DJ) but both have struggled quite a bit after leaving just when their talent was starting to blossom.
People underestimate what another year of college can do, I would guess he's mostly regressed after barely getting time in LA, DC and Boston.. not to mention his confidence has got to be shot.
Hoping Franz strongly considers another year bc while he has a lot of potential - he still has no left hand, his outside shot is spotty and he disappeared on offense in some critical games. Going up against NBA wings is no joke and he'd be better served getting stronger and developing as a leader imho.
As a 76ers fan, I'd love to see us sign him. Our backup PF is Mike Scott...and he's our 3rd string center as well (behind Dwight Howard).
Mike is a fun guy to root for, but he has no business as a primary back-up big.
Waive Tolliver and sign Wagner, who isn't in his mid-30's and has shown flashes.
Moe is still only 23 years old and has banked almost $6 million, pretty sure he’ll be fine/made the right decisions