For Michigan junior forward Moritz “Moe” Wagner, the decision to enter the NBA Draft and sign with an agent was a difficult one, but one he boiled down to a simple question.
Was he ready to become an adult and move on?
Last year, he chose to enter the NBA Draft process without hiring an agent and ultimately returned to Michigan. He said he wasn’t ready to leave Michigan.
Now, he is.
“Even if I’m going to be a second-round pick, I can fall asleep with a smile on my face because I made this decision not based on where I’m going to get drafted and how much money I’m going to make, I made this decision because I feel ready to become a grown up,” Wagner said.
The 6-foor-11 stretch big man averaged 14.6 points per game and 7.1 rebounds per contest this past season, which saw the Wolverines reach the national championship game.
Most early projections have Wagner being selected early in the second round, with a possibility he rises into the back end of the first.
“It’s not about money, it’s not about getting out of here, because you guys know better than anyone, I love this place,” Wagner said. “It’s about moving on, challenging yourself as a man and a human being.”
It wasn’t a decision he made in one day. It was a process over time, and at the end of it all, he felt ready.
He is close to finalizing an agreement with an agent and will then move forward with working out and preparing for the path ahead, which will involve private workouts, the NBA Scouting Combine and interviews with teams. His parents are aiding him with the business side of things, since he admits it is not his strong suit.
“It just felt right,” Wagner said. “For me, it’s not about all the risks, the stuff you have to calculate. It’s more a decision that I made as an individual, as a human. What’s the next step in my life? I wouldn’t be able to make that reflective decision if I didn’t have a great three years here at Michigan.”
After going through the pre-draft process a year ago, Wagner feels comfortable and ready to tackle the few months ahead. He says he was two feet in this season and feels good about his draft position based on what he’s been told in his conversations with NBA sources this month.
He hasn’t decided whether or not he will participate in the combine, but will make that determination at a later date.
Having had several former teammates go through the process, Wagner has been able to talk to guys like Derrick Walton Jr., D.J. Wilson and Caris LeVert for their thoughts on the NBA Draft process.
The idea of the NBA wasn’t a primary thought during the course of the season, but as one might expect, it’s tough to keep the thought of what’s in the future out of your head.
“I always said it’s not in my head, but as a human being, that obviously is in your head,” Wagner said. “As much as you focus on the winning, that’s important obviously, there are some days where you think okay what’s going to happen in three months, even though that’s not the dominating factor of your thought process.”
Michigan coach John Beilein communicated daily with Wagner, sharing his thoughts on the matter. He told Wagner not to make a rushed decision.
In the end, Wagner said Beilein understood the move he was making and that they still have, and always will have, a special relationship.
“Coach Beilein really cares about his players,” Wagner said. “He’s not just going to say ‘yeah, you’re ready, go’ because no one would ever say that when you care about someone and love working with someone.”
Wagner isn’t sure what he would do if he wasn’t able to play basketball, but acknowledges that he’s “very grateful” and a “blessed man” for being able to do what he loves. He’s leaning towards watching the draft back home in Germany with his family, but said he will make that determination after he hears if he will be invited to the draft.
“I came to the University of Michigan for the experience, but obviously, my main goal was to make it to the NBA and grow up as a person,” Wagner said. “I’m going to graduate next year, but that was my main goal, I came here to be a basketball player.”
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