- May 21, 2026
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SportsMafia Wire graphic. Team logos and player headshots via ESPN.
Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero will miss multiple weeks with a low-grade high ankle sprain, the team announced Saturday.
Banchero suffered the injury during Friday's 115-93 loss to Minnesota. He told The Orlando Sentinel he felt discomfort in the first quarter, sat out the fourth, and finished with 14 points and six rebounds. A typical recovery timetable for this diagnosis runs four to six weeks.
The 2024 All-Star was enjoying a strong start, leading Orlando with 24.5 points and 7.5 assists per game while shooting 70%. He added 6.5 rebounds nightly.
Orlando has experience navigating absences. The Magic went 7-3 in 10 games without Banchero last season. Over the past two seasons, Banchero has missed 46 games, Franz Wagner 70, and Jalen Suggs 72, yet the team reached the playoffs both years. When Banchero, Wagner, Suggs and Wendell Carter Jr. all play, Orlando is 40-26 across the last three regular seasons.
The 2022 No. 1 overall pick owns career averages of 22.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists.
Mickey's Angle: Orlando's depth gets tested early, but their track record without Banchero suggests they can stay afloat in the standings if Wagner and Suggs stay healthy.
Source: ESPN (also reported by Hoops Rumors) - written by Mickey the Mouth from the original report.