NBA: Ranking the top 20 rising stars under the age of 24 heading into 2024-25

8. Franz Wagner

Age: 22

Coupled with Paolo Banchero this season, Franz Wagner began to take the Eastern Conference by force. Coming off another hugely productive year in which he averaged career highs nearly across the board, Wagner continued to announce himself to the league with the Orlando Magic. And if the franchise is going to take another step forward this upcoming season, you'd have to imagine that Wagner is going to play a big part in that success - meaning that he may have to take another step forward.

Of course, the question is, does Wagner have another step up in his development? And if he does, how high does that ceiling rise for him? That could be difficult to answer considering he's playing next to Banchero, but it'll be interesting to see how he looks during his fourth season in the league - especially after inking a new deal with the team.

Wagner is on pace to have a multiple All-Star-level career. He's been a huge player in Orlando's recent turnaround and deserves a ton of credit for the team's return to relevance in the East.