The Wagner Brothers documentary is bookended by stress over Moe Wagner's contract situation.
It was a real look at things that feel straightforward to those on the outside of the NBA bubble. The Magic had declined team options in both summers on the center. Everyone assumed he would return to the team and get a pay bump for his trouble. That is indeed what happened.
But the uncertainty of it all and the chance, however small, that Wagner would not return to play for the Magic weighed on him. It was clear within the documentary how much it affected Wagner and the relief that came when it all worked out.
Predictably, Wagner is back in that same situation again this year. And with Wagner recovering from a torn ACL, his future feels more uncertain than it has been the last time these have happened. Even though he has proven himself vital to the Magic.
"I'll tell you this, there is no documentary coming that's for sure," Wagner said during exit interviews. "Honestly, I felt great here. I'm very excited to be here. I feel like I'm valued here. I understand this is a professional environment and there are no givens.
"I'm very confident in my value. I love this group. There is not a bad person in that locker room. I love hanging out with them every day. I think it's a big strength of this group that it is so connected. I think I'm valued in my role, and it hasn't changed much."
Before Wagner tore his ACL, he was in the midst of the best season of his career. He averaged a career-high 12.9 points per game and 4.9 rebounds per game as he was fully ensconced as the team's sixth man and biggest scorer off the bench.
Coach Jamahl Mosley often joked that Moe Wagner woke up with 10 points. That is the scoring the Magic are so desperate for.
That came crashing down on Dec. 21 when he tore his ACL in the first half of the Orlando Magic's eventual win over the Miami Heat. The injury was a gut punch to a team already hit hard with injuries -- Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner were out with torn obliques and Jalen Suggs missed that particular game too.
Wagner's impact on the team was abundantly clear, especially his role coming off the bench. Among players who played at least 29 games off the bench (Wagner started one game), Wagner finished seventh in scoring.
Orlando, as a team, averaged 40.0 points per game off the bench before Wagner's injury, the fifth-most in the league. The team tumbled to 21st with 33.3 points per game after Wagner's injury.
That can be attributed to the injuries throughout the roster as much as it was to losing Wagner. But Wagner's absence was a big deal for a team hungry for offensive-minded players.
It is hard to imagine the Magic without Wagner next year -- even if he may not be back until around Christmas as he recovers from his injury.
"It's going well," Wagner said of his rehab during exit interviews in early May. "I'm feeling really good. It's fun stuff. Obviously, a difficult year. You grow a lot from it, and I'm excited about getting out of this, knowing more about myself. [Getting back for training camp] is kind of the mentality. There's no track. There's no benchmark. It's rehab, you go day by day and figure it out. That's the mentality that I'm working toward. I have a pretty positive mind towards it."
And that gets back to the stress of the moment. Wagner will be working to get back as soon as he can. But the Magic have until June 29 to decide on his team option, setting their offseason and Wagner's offseason in motion.
There is the unfortunate business reality. And the Magic have some decisions to make.
Orlando could be looking to decline Wagner's $11 million team option to help the team sneak under the luxury tax and gain access to the non-taxpayer mid-level exception to sign another free agent. Orlando would still have the ability to re-sign Wagner using Bird Rights. But it would put them dangerously close to the first apron.
There is a business reality facing the Magic and facing Wagner. It is clear how important he is. No player probably embodies the buy-in to the Magic's culture than Wagner, who saved his career and carved a role with this team from the beginning of its reset.
Orlando has to play the salary cap game to improve its roster. It leaves Wagner's place more uncertain than it deserves for a player so vital to the team.
All Wagner can do now is wait for word from the Magic and focus on his recovery.
"First of all, of course, it's tough to watch," Wagner said during exit interviews. "But at the same time, you have a decision, right? You can sulk about it and be mad about it, or you can take it as an opportunity to learn and grow from it and view the game from a different perspective. I tried to do that. I learned a lot about this group and a lot about myself, especially and the game as well. I'm very excited to be playing again to use that and become more professional and more equipped to have a successful career."
Wagner can only focus on his recovery and getting back on the floor. Whenever that is, he will surely be doing it for some team in the NBA. In all likelihood, he will return to the Magic -- whether the team picks up his option or agrees to a new deal with him as they did the last two offseasons.
That does not decrease the stress. Or the concern the Magic will lose an important player in their identity.