Franz Wagner tried to come back for a couple of games before the All-Star break, having missed 25 games this season due to a high ankle sprain.
He’s going to miss more time. He was still suffering from ankle soreness, and imaging done over the All-Star break confirmed that Wagner needs more time to recover. He will be out indefinitely and re-evaluated in three weeks, the team announced on Wednesday.
> Franz Wagner, who suffered a left high ankle sprain on Dec. 7 and has missed 25 games due to the injury, will be out indefinitely as he continues to experience soreness.
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> Recent imaging confirmed Wagner requires additional time and rehabilitation before returning to full… [pic.twitter.com/mpdGB7rXYw](https://t.co/mpdGB7rXYw)
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> — Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) [February 18, 2026](https://twitter.com/OrlandoMagic/status/2024167441740304767?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
This news crushes the hope that Orlando could start to get healthy and find some consistency after the All-Star break. Orlando has been one of the league’s most disappointing teams this season. Projected as a potential contender before the season, the Magic are 28-25 and would be in the play-in if the season ended today. Their defense was elite a season ago but has been middle-of-the-pack this season. Injuries are part of that: Orlando’s home-grown trio of Wagner, Paolo Banchero and Jalen Suggs have played together in just 19 of the Magic’s 135 regular-season games in the past two years.
Wagner has looked like an All-Star when he has gotten on the court this season, averaging 21.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists a game in the 28 games he has played. The 24-year-old German is in the first year of a five-year, $224 million max contract extension with the team.
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