Franz Wagner Out Indefinitely
Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner is out indefinitely with an ankle sprain, while Domantas Sabonis had season-ending knee surgery for a torn meniscus. The injuries add to a growing list of key players sidelined as teams push toward playoff positioning.
- Franz Wagner's injury is a high left ankle sprain that he originally suffered on December 7th; he will be re-evaluated in three weeks. This is a lingering issue, as he has already missed 25 of the last 29 games and experienced soreness after attempting to return to play. - Before the injury, Wagner was playing at an All-Star level, averaging 23.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists in his first 23 games. The Magic had a 14-9 record with a healthy Wagner but have played sub-.500 basketball since. - The Orlando Magic are currently seventh in the Eastern Conference with a 28-25 record, putting them in the play-in tournament if the season ended today. They are just one game behind the sixth-seeded Philadelphia 76ers, with the top six teams avoiding the play-in. - Domantas Sabonis initially suffered his torn meniscus in November and missed 27 games before attempting a return. He ultimately underwent surgery and will miss the remainder of the season. - This has been a difficult season for Sabonis, who played in only 19 games and saw his Player Efficiency Rating (PER) drop from 22.6 last season to 18.7 this season. - The Sacramento Kings are also without two-time All-Star Zach LaVine, who is out for the season after undergoing surgery on his hand. - The loss of both Sabonis and LaVine has been devastating for the Kings, who currently hold the worst record in the NBA at 12-44. - The core trio of Wagner, Paolo Banchero, and Jalen Suggs for the Magic have only played together in 19 of the team's 135 regular-season games over the past two seasons due to various injuries.
