Where the Blame Lies in Franz Wagner Situation

Franz Wagner will always remember that he got to be a part of history. In that regard, rushing back from an ankle injury to play in the first NBA regular season game ever played in his native Germany will always be worth it.

Frustrated Orlando Magic fans need to keep that in mind for the rest of the season, because there’s a decent chance the 24-year-old star forward won’t be himself until 2026-27 rolls around.

News came down just before Orlando’s return to action on the west coast following the All-Star break that tests revealed the need for Wagner to take additional time to heal and rehab his left high ankle sprain. He’ll be re-evaluated in three weeks, roughly around mid-March.

Wagner was able to make it back from an awful-looking injury suffered at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 7. Initially, there was fear he tore something and would miss the rest of the season. It was a frightening mishap. He was deemed healthy and good to go inside 40 days, allowing him to take the floor in his hometown against the Memphis Grizzlies on Jan. 15.

The question of whether he came back too fast now has an answer. It’s a resounding, disappointing yes. Was it worth it? Once-in-a-lifetime opportunities always are.

The atmosphere inside Berlin’s Uber Arena was electric. Dirk Nowitzki sat proudly in attendance. Moe Wagner, who had made his season debut just before the new year began also got to play. Anthony Black threw down arguably the most vicious dunk of the NBA season. Franz was on the floor in crunch time. Orlando won 118-111, the Wagners were conquering heroes and the memory of that victory will live in their hearts forever.

Tristan da Sliva, born and raised in Munich, also had his image placed all over Berlin alongside the Wagners, making the Magic the undisputed home team in their hometown. No one was keeping Wagner on the sideline when that dream was possible. Although he looked rusty, he was active and productive, finishing with 18 points and nine rebounds.

Wagner will forever be better off having played in his native land this season. Now that we know Wagner rushed back too fast, questions can be asked about whether he should’ve played in London a few days later, especially since he clearly lacked burst.

Why was he in the mix for a pair of games last week against the Milwaukee Bucks when conventional wisdom to sit out until after the All-Star break made his return surprising? To be clear, this isn't on Jamahl Mosley. Blame has to fall on the training staff that cleared Wagner to return when erring on the side of caution seemed like a layup as the right call.

Again, Wagner looked good in his first action back, finishing with 14 points on 6-for-10 shooting and dishing out five assists on Feb. 9. Two days later, he finished 1-for-7. Why was he out there? Playing on a weakened ankle could lead to ligaments tearing. This situation could’ve ended up far worse than simply more of a waiting game.

It’s now on the rest of the Magic to bail out the decision to bring him back last week since that cameo clearly didn’t help matters. Continuing to alternate wins and losses to wind up back in the play-in would make the criticism of how Wagner’s injury was handled sharper and more accusatory.

No one is going to question why Wagner would do everything in his power to play in Berlin. Everyone should second-guess why we saw him in three games inside the next four weeks, even though that doesn’t sound like much.

Returning to action when more rest is now deemed to have been required makes last week an unfortunate miscalculation, and there is no once-in-a-lifetime excuse to soften the blow or make the situation understandable.

Paolo Banchero on Franz Wagner:

"He's one of our key pieces of our team, and we need him out there. ... We don't want him out there if he's not feeling like himself. I think that's the biggest thing is just letting him take his time to get healthy." pic.twitter.com/Qc4HVXw8S2
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) February 18, 2026

“He’s one of our key pieces of our team, and we need him out there… we don’t want him out there if he’s not feeling like himself,” Orlando forward Paolo Banchero said Wednesday. “I think that’s the biggest thing is just letting him take his time to get healthy.”

Wagner needs to take all the time he needs to get back to 100 percent. It’s hard to imagine that not being the case, which means it could be April by the time we see him. That also means the postseason could be immediately around the corner by the time he’s back in sync with teammates and in a rhythm.

Since his long-term health won’t be affected, we’ll never hear Franz Wagner regret his decision to play in Berlin. Privately, will he wish he’d have taken more time than he did? That’s a certainty. Hopefully it won’t end up being a reason the Magic fall short in a few months, but the baked-in excuse may prove necessary if another early exit ends up being Orlando’s fate in ‘25-’26.

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