Standout Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner has a high left-ankle sprain that’s expected to sideline him for multiple weeks, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports. The injury projects to sideline Wagner for the remainder of NBA Cup play. Orlando will play the Miami Heat in the quarterfinals on Tuesday. The championship final is scheduled for Dec. 16 in Las Vegas.
The good news for Wagner is he avoided more significant structural damage in a scary fall against the Knicks on Sunday, according to the report. Wagner fell to the court after a hard foul by New York’s Ariel Hukporti.
Wagner immediately grabbed his lower left leg and rolled around on the floor in pain. He eventually needed the help of teammates to limp off the court.
Wagner is Orlando’s leading scorer this season with averages of 22.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.2 steals while shooting a career-high 49% from the floor and 36% from 3. He has played much of the season with a broken nose and has helped keep the Magic competitive in the East despite the extended absence of All-Star Paolo Banchero due to a groin injury.
Banchero returned to the lineup on Friday after missing 10 games due to the injury. Now the Magic will be down another star for an extended period. Wagner’s absence will likely result in a heavier workload for Banchero and an expanded offensive role for Desmond Bane.
The Magic are off to a 14-10 start, good for fifth in the East as of Monday.
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