Orlando Magic likely to get shut out of NBA All-Star Game - who's to blame?

Injuries are the biggest culprit, but regardless of the answer, Orlando is unlikely to land a player on the US or World All-Star teams.

Feb 27, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) and forward Franz Wagner (22) celebrate at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

When NBA players who envisioned being All-Stars don’t end up being part of the festivities, they typically talk about the vacation that awaits and being able to decompress. Most will avoid the game and soak up downtime at a tropical location far away from you.

Still, those who expected to be there will be annoyed. They’ll add to a chip on their shoulder. They’ll be disappointed even if fresher legs are the trade-off for having missed out.

If you’re an Orlando fan, you’ll probably be taking solace in the hope your more rested team will punish opponents over being slighted in the season’s final months, because as things stand with All-Star weekend less than a month away, it would be surprising to see the Magic represented in Sunday’s big event on Feb. 15.

This year, the fun will be out in L.A., and the fact the format is being altered to place international All-Stars against U.S.-born opposition means there’s definitely interest in being included. The Magic anticipated they would be one of the Eastern Conference’s top teams in 2025-26 and hoped to have multiple All-Stars, but that’s certainly not going to happen. 

Three voting groups determined the starters for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game:

▪️ Fans (50%)
▪️ NBA players (25%)
▪️ Media panel (25%)

Complete voting results are available here: https://t.co/0YQtBsIaGp

Below are the overall rankings for the top finishers in each conference. pic.twitter.com/W21e8EOvpH

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) January 19, 2026

As things stand, Franz Wagner somehow being included to fill out the international side looks like Orlando’s best shot.

The rest of the story remains to be written on the Magic’s season, but if we’re discussing All-Star without nuance, strictly in black-and-white, not having any Magic player involved with the 75th edition of the NBA’s midseason showcase is a failure.

The why is unfortunate, having mostly to do with injuries that interrupted the momentum for Wagner, Paolo Banchero and Jalen Suggs. While Suggs opened the season on a minutes restriction and has landed on the injury list multiple times, Banchero and Wagner were both injured in New York’s Madison Square Garden in separate incidents on Nov. 13 and Dec. 7.

Banchero missed 10 games and Wagner was absent for 14, which didn’t knock the Magic forwards out of All-Star consideration but complicates matters as they look to earn the nod as reserves. 

Now that starters have been announced, we have a clearer picture of what the All-Star landscape looks like. Within this new format, 16 USA All-Stars and internationals will be split into separate teams, and if there are nine internationals organically chosen by coaches, two more American All-Stars will be selected to ensure there’s an even distribution of talent on all three rosters that will play a round-robin on Sunday.

Five of the International spots have already gone to players chosen as starters. Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece), L.A. Lakers guard Luka Doncic (Slovenia), reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander from OKC and Canada, Serbian center Nikola Jokic from the Nuggets, and Spurs star Victor Wembanyama from the Spurs, are in.

Jokic is currently injured but is expected to be back by the end of the month or early February, which means he’s unlikely to need an injury replacement. That leaves only three International spots, which is the most likely path for Wagner, who has excellent numbers (22.1 ppg, 6.1 rpg)  but has missed a significant amount of time. 

Franz has path towards All-Star bid as significant longshot

Portland forward Deni Avdija (Israel), Houston center Alperen Sengun (Turkey), Denver guard Jamal Murray (Canada), Chicago guard Josh Giddey (Australia) and Indiana forward Pascal Siakam (Cameroon) all appear to be ahead of Franz Wagner on the pecking order, so even if there are four spots granted, Orlando’s German star isn’t likely to get the nod.

Giddey has missed the past three-plus weeks due to a hamstring issue but is set to return and has already played 30 games, which means he’s likely to have more than Wagner even if Orlando’s forward stays healthy through the end of February. Giddey has better numbers, averaging 19.2 points, 8.9 rebounds and 9.0 assists, so even though the Bulls are a sub-.500 team, he’d likely get the nod as a reserve.

Siakam plays for the East’s worst team, but is averaging 23.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists and has played in almost every game for the Pacers.

Bane and Banchero have a shot to land among the East’s reserves, but if Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell, Detroit’s Jalen Duren, Atlanta’s Jalen Johnson and Toronto’s Scottie Barnes are locks, that only leaves three spots. 

Boston’s Derrick White, New York’s Karl-Anthony Towns, Cleveland’s Evan Mobley, Brooklyn’s Michael Porter Jr., Miami’s Bam Adebayo and Norm Powell, Giddey and Siakam all have strong cases. It’s more likely that Florida’s teams are shut out entirely than Orlando landing a player on the 2026 All-Star team. 

It’s fine to point fingers since someone is always trying to blame somebody for something in today’s day and age, but Orlando probably would have Banchero or Wagner in the mix barring their injuries. If that’s not a good enough excuse, who do you blame most? Ask yourself that between now and mid-February.