Brutal Break for Orlando Magic Star Franz Wagner

Last month, the Orlando Magic lost superstar Paola Banchero to a torn oblique. Now, incredibly, their other All-Star, Franz Wagner has suffered the same fate.

Just in: Orlando Magic star forward Franz Wagner has suffered a torn right oblique and is out indefinitely, sources tell ESPN. Wagner sustained the injury Friday night and will be re-evaluated in four weeks. pic.twitter.com/PNYmB0VnyS
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 7, 2024

The Magic say that Wagner will be out "indefinitely" and will be re-evaluated in four weeks, but it's quite likely he'll be out longer than that as obliques are a very tricky injury to recover from.

Banchero, the 2023 NBA Rookie of the Year, had seemed to ascend to superstar status this season, as he was averaging 29 points a game in his first five contests, with 8.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists. His loss was a brutal blow to the Magic team, but Wagner has stepped it up big-time in Panchero's absence, with eight 30+ point games, and is averaging 24.4 points, five per game better than last season.

Wagner's play—which was sure to earn him his first All-Star berth, has helped the Magic stay on a roll to start the campaign, as they sit at 16-9, third-place in the Eastern Conference. On the year, Wagner is averaging 24.4 points, 5.7 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 1.7 steals in 25 games.

As for Banchero, he's still weeks away from returning, though he did take some important steps last week. "I finally got to do some court stuff on this trip at practice – some ball handling, some spot shooting," Banchero told si.com. "It was my first time really getting to dribble a ball, shoot a ball, so [it] felt really good doing that. Hopefully in the next few weeks, I can start getting into more of that and just work my way back into playing shape."