Another worst-case scenario on Magic injury front

Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner has missed 25 of the team's last 29 games.

Dec 3, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (22) looks on against the San Antonio Spurs in the third quarter at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Orlando Magic star forward Franz Wagner will miss at least the next three weeks after another flare up with his left ankle, ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania was the first to report.

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

Wagner, 24, has missed 25 of the last 29 games with his ankle injury. He's averaging 21.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists on the season, shooting 47.9 percent from the floor and 36.5 percent from 3-point range.

This is another cruel setback, marking the second-straight time where the 6-foot-10 wing has only played two games before re-aggravating the injury.

A three-week timeline likely sidelines Wagner until mid-March -- barring yet another setback. Their final game of the season is April 12 against the Boston Celtics. The best-case scenario is that Wagner is back in time for the final ~10-15 games of the season.

Though when it comes to the Magic and health, assuming the best-case scenario is realistic feels like a fool's errand.

Wagner has been the Magic's best player when he's been on the court this season. Without him, they've teetered with mediocrity. From Dec. 9 to Jan. 8, in games that the 6-foot-10 wing did not play, the Magic went 12-13 with a minus-3.5 NET.

How Franz Wagner's latest injury affects playoff chase:

May 3, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (22) reacts to a call during the second quarter of game six of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

We are now in the home stretch of the season.

Orlando is currently 28-25, 1.5 games back of the Philadelphia 76ers in a weakened East. It is currently on track to make its second consecutive play-in, and without Wagner, the odds of that coming to fruition seemingly increase.

Once again, it will be up to Paolo Banchero, Desmond Bane, Jalen Suggs and Anthony Black to carry the load for Orlando. The injury bug can't stop biting the Magic at the most inopportune times; Wagner, Banchero and Suggs have played just 19 games over the last two seasons.

They will also need more from their young players, namely Tristan da Silva, Jase Richardson and Noah Penda. da Silva isn't putting up gaudy numbers, but has still filled a role; Penda's been one of the Magic's more dynamic wing defenders while Richardson, at times, has provided a scoring spark off the bench.

All that said, we'll see if they can build any sort of positive momentum, beginning with a four-game West Coast road trip before returning home on Feb. 26.

This is a breaking news story. Stay tuned for more updates! Be sure to follow of our Orlando Magic OnSi content in the meantime!