BREAKING: Magic's Wendell Carter Jr. Undergoing Surgery on Hand

Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. missed 20 games due to a broken hand.

May 5, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. (34) drives to the basket / Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

ORLANDO — Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. is set to undergo surgery on his left hand, the team announced.

The team also announced that the surgery is a "preventative procedure" and that it will insert a plate into Carter Jr.'s left hand to stabilize it where he suffered a fracture earlier in the year. Carter Jr. will be re-evaluated in four weeks after the surgery.

Carter Jr. first suffered a fractured left hand in the Magic's fifth game of the season against the Utah Jazz. The injury forced him to miss 20 consecutive games before returning to the starting lineup.

The 6-10 center played in 55 games, his fewest since the 2020-21 season, and averaged 11 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. In the postseason, he was reinserted into the starting lineup and started five games after coming off the bench in Games 1 and 2.

Carter Jr. averaged 7.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists for Orlando in its seven-game series against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs.

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