Franz Wagner – 6’9”, 220 lbs – SF/PF – Sophomore – Michigan

While he is not the best overall player or scorer on this year’s Michigan Wolverines squad, Franz Wagner may possess the most upside as a NBA prospect. The younger brother of former first-round pick Moritz Wagner, Franz is a highly-skilled wing who joined Michigan last year after playing professionally in Germany. 

Franz Wagner is not a great athlete and is not the biggest player, but he is more than capable of knocking down shots from the outside and can do a little bit of everything. Whether it is crashing the glass for rebounds, making the extra pass for an assist or knocking down three-point shots well beyond the college three-point line, Franz Wagner is able to do it all, which is why his draft stock has begun to skyrocket over the last month or so. 

He may not have what it takes to be a primary scoring option, but he is a fantastic overall offensive-minded player that can get to his spot and get the shot that he wants. Franz Wagner is definitely one of the better three-point shooting prospects in this NBA Draft class, in terms of shooting skill and form, and he just looks so comfortable shooting. 

Like a lot of the talent that comes from the EuroLeague, Franz Wagner plays the game at his own pace and while he may not possess a high-motor like some of the top athletes in this NBA Draft class, he is able to slowly pick apart his opponents and expose their weaknesses defensively. He is not in any way like Luka Doncic, but the way that they both play at their own pace and let the game come to them instead of rushing into things is very similar. 

At 6’9”, Franz Wagner has the ability to play either small-forward or power-forward in the NBA, but will likely be utilized on the wing because of his perimeter-oriented skill set. His overall ability to be a great teammate and facilitator is what has made Franz Wagner an eye-opening draft prospect over the last few months and something that will continue to push himself up draft boards. 

So far this season, Wagner is averaging 12.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.2 steals and is shooting 49.2% from the floor, 35.7% from three-point range. His overall understanding of the game and his ability to impact the game in many ways is why he has been so valuable to Michigan this season and one of the main reasons they are one of the final eight teams fighting for a National Championship.