Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner will be sidelined indefinitely coming out of the NBA All-Star break after needing additional time and pain to recover from a left ankle sprain, as first reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The team released a statement on Wednesday, saying Wagner was experiencing soreness in his left ankle and would need additional time to heal after the All-Star break. Wagner will be reevaluated in about three weeks.
The injury first occurred on December 7 against the New York Knicks, and Wagner missed 16 consecutive games. Although he returned to play in his hometown of Berlin on January 15 and again overseas in London, England on January 18, Wagner missed nine consecutive games to deal with his ankle injury.
In his lengthy absence, Anthony Black has emerged as a key weapon in Orlando alongside Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bain.
Wagner, who missed 25 of the Magic’s last 29 games due to an ankle injury, has played in only 28 games this season due to various injuries. This directly resulted in Orlando having a 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. When both players are on the court, the Magic are 29-29 overall.
Wagner isn’t the only player to miss significant time this season for the Magic, as Jalen Suggs has missed a total of 20 games so far on the season due to various injuries. Most 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 has played in each of the Magic’s last seven games before the All-Star break. Additionally, the Magic are still not fully developed this season and Wagner, Banchero, Suggs and Benn are on the court with each other for consecutive 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.
#Franz #Wagner #suffers #indefinite #ankle #injury #setback #comeback
