Franz Wagner has been sidelined indefinitely with an ankle injury following his recent return
Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner will be aside indefinitely is coming out of the NBA All-Star break as he needs additional time and recovery from soreness in his left ankle sprain, as first reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The team issued a statement on Wednesday, stating that Wagner is still experiencing soreness in his left ankle and will need additional time after the All-Star break to heal. Wagner will be reevaluated in about three weeks.
This injury happened first Dec. 7 against the New York Knicks, and Wagner has missed 16 straight games. Although he returned to play overseas in his hometown of Berlin on January 15 and again on January 18 in London, England, Wagner then missed nine consecutive games to manage his ankle injury.
In his extended absence, Anthony Black has emerged as a key weapon alongside Paolo Bancher and Desmond Bain in Orlando.
Wagner, who has missed 25 of the Magic’s last 29 games with a sprained ankle, has played in just 28 games this season due to various injuries. This directly resulted in Orlando’s mediocre 28-25 record at the All-Star break.
Since the start of the 2024-25 season, Wagner and Banchero have played just 58 games together. With both players on the court, the Magic tied the score at 29-29.
Wagner isn’t the only player who has missed significant time this season for the Magic, as Jalen Suggs has missed a total of 20 games so far this season due to various injuries. Recently, Suggs suffered a Grade 1 right MCL injury in the knee, and he missed eight consecutive games.
The good news for Orlando is that Suggs played in each of the Magic’s last seven games before the All-Star break. At the same time, the Magic have yet to be fully healthy this season and have Wagner, Buncher, Suggs and Bain on the court with each other for back-to-back games.
In his 28 games this season, Wagner is averaging 21.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game while shooting 47.9 percent from the floor.
2026-02-18 17:04:00
