Franz Wagner Injury Update Impacts Magic in NBA Finals, Playoff Odds

The Orlando Magic are set to be without a key piece of their team when they return from the All-Star break.

Star forward Franz Wagner, who has missed 25 of the team's last 29 games with an ankle injury, reportedly will be sidelined indefinitely after tests showed he needs more time to rest and rehab from the soreness caused by his high-ankle sprain.

This is a massive blow to the Magic, who are currently just the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner will be sidelined indefinitely after recent tests showed that he requires additional time and rehabilitation for soreness in his left high ankle sprain, sources tell ESPN. The Magic will evaluate Wagner's progress in three weeks. pic.twitter.com/ATPfPQQm1O
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 18, 2026

Orlando is +12000 to win the NBA Finals at DraftKings Sportsbook, and it's gone from a sneaky contender in the East to a fringe playoff team. The Magic are still favored to make the playoffs, but they're expected to do it by way of the play-in. DraftKings now has Orlando at -185 to participate in the play-in tournament.

The Magic are just 1.5 games back of the Philadelphia 76ers for the No. 6 seed in the East, but they have not fared well without Wagner this season. Orlando is just 12-13 in the 25 games that the star forward has missed, and the team has played very few games with Wagner, Paolo Banchero and Jalen Suggs all healthy in the 2025-26 campaign.

Wagner, who was an All-Star candidate before he went down with this ankle injury, is averaging 21.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game this season while shooting 47.9 percent from the field and 36.5 percent from 3.

Orlando has just a half-game lead on the Miami Heat for the No. 7 seed, and it could fall pretty far in the standings over the next few weeks with the No. 9 Charlotte Hornets playing their best basketball of the season over the last month.

On the bright side, Orlando has a five-game cushion over the No. 11-seeded Chicago Bulls, who blew up their roster at the deadline and appear to be tanking. So, Orlando should have a shot to make the playoffs by way of the play-in even if it does struggle the rest of the regular season.

Since Wagner will miss at least three weeks, there's a chance he doesn't return until late March.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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