The Orlando Magic will be without both of their star players for the time being. Already without Paolo Banchero, the Magic were dealt a brutal update on Saturday as Franz Wagner will now be out indefinitely with a torn oblique, per Shams Charania of ESPN.
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Per Charania, Wagner suffered the injury during the team's 102-94 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Dec. 6. He led the team in the game with 30 points, nine rebounds and five assists.
In light of Banchero's absence, Wagner has become one of the league's top emerging stars of 2024-2025. Through the first 25 games, he is averaging a career-high 24.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game while guiding the Magic to a surprising 16-9 start.
Without either Wagner or Banchero, the Magic will be forced to require more out of fourth-year guard Jalen Suggs. The 2021 lottery pick is currently third on the team with 15.5 points per game. Moe Wagner is the only other member of the team averaging double figures with 12.8 points per game.
Nearly every player in the rotation will see additional opportunity with Wagner out but second-year guard Anthony Black figures to see the biggest increase. Black projects to fill Wagner's spot in the starting lineup, though Mosley has his choice of options.
Magic hoping for quick Paolo Banchero return amid Franz Wagner injury
Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (22) dribbles the ball against the Phoenix Suns during the second half of an NBA game at Footprint Center.
© Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
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While the loss of Wagner will be a significant blow to the Magic, Banchero is nearing his return to the court. The 22-year-old All-Star was originally given a tentative return date of early December and has been practicing for roughly one week.
Orlando has two upcoming games on Dec. 8 and Dec. 10 against the Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks, respectively. However, after that, they will not play again for nine days, hopefully giving Banchero optimal time to return to full strength.
After finishing 2023-2024 as the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference, the Magic currently own the fourth-best record in the league through 25 games. Their early surge has them in third place of the conference at the time of Wagner's injury. Much of Orlando's success has come at home, where they remain undefeated at 9-0 as of Dec. 7.
a]:text-link [&_>a]:underline">Jaren Kawada is a NFL, College Football and Betting Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. Kawada was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, but now resides in Indianapolis, Indiana, after graduating from Butler University with a B.A. in sports media.