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BERLIN, GERMANY - JANUARY 15: Franz Wagner #22 of the Orlando Magic reacts during the fourth quarter of the NBA Match between Memphis Grizzlies and Orlando Magic at Uber Arena on January 15, 2026 in Berlin, Germany.

Franz Wagner has been out with an ankle injury for the Orlando Magic since February 11, but based on the latest update for the star forward, the German could be getting closer to a potential return for the playoffs.

Most recently, Wagner practiced with the Magic’s G-League affiliate and was later recalled to the NBA team, a typical move by franchises in the midst of injury return ramp-ups.

Wagner has played in just games since early December, as the ankle injury has kept him sidelined for most of the season.  In just 28 games this year, he is averaging 21.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.1 steals on 47.9% shooting.

Franz Wagner Injury Update

Wagner, a key piece in Orlando’s one-two punch with Paolo Banchero, has missed major stretches this season with an ankle injury that, previously, was not getting any better. 

In early March, after being sidelined for over a month, the Magic said that he was progressing, but was still without any return timeline. While the team has slowly been making waves in the East without him, the Magic might soon get back one of their star forwards, per the latest update.

“The Magic recalled Wagner (ankle) from the G League’s Osceola Magic after he practiced with the affiliate Monday,” Rotowire staff wrote in the morning of March 24. “His assignment to the G League for practice represents the first notable sign of progress in the recovery process for the fifth-year forward since the Magic opted to shut him down over the All-Star break.”

Wagner is still set to miss the Magic’s Tuesday night NBC game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, but while previous injury updates all pointed to bad news, this latest one could signal that he’ll be back on the court soon.

Last week, Wagner had told Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel that the original timeline of four to six weeks wasn’t panning out, and while he still doesn’t have a direct return date, now that he’s practiced with the G-League for the first time, the Magic could be starting to ramp up a comeback before the playoffs begin.

Orlando Magic Injury Report vs Cleveland Cavaliers

Along with Wagner, the Magic have Anthony Black (abdominal), Jonathan Isaac (knee), and Jalen Suggs (illness) listed as out on the injury report for their upcoming game against Cleveland.

Each has missed stretches this season with numerous health concerns, and while each is a key player for head coach Jamahl Mosley’s rotation when not featured on the injury report, that hasn’t been the case over the past few weeks.

Luckily for Orlando, in their key matchup against a top East rival, the Cavaliers also have several of their impactful bodies on their injury report.

Jarrett Allen (knee), Jaylon Tyson (toe), and Craig Porter Jr. (groin) are all listed as out, while Tyrese Proctor (quad) is questionable for the game.

Magic This Season

This year, Orlando is 38-33 and eighth in the East. 

After making the major offseason trade for Desmond Bane, there were hopes that this roster would be sitting higher in the standings at this point in the season, with more title expectations than they currently hold.

However, with injuries to Wagner, Banchero, Suggs, and others, and the team’s overall lack of consistency through the first 70 games, they remain in the Play-In tournament spots. They have seen some strong play from young contributors like Black and Tristan da Silva, but overall, hasn’t played at the level many expected they would as a collective so far this year.

The Magic have lost five games in a row, and while they are still slated to make the Play-In, they could very easily fall to tenth in the East if their current form continues in the final few weeks of the regular season.

Getting Wagner back, whether it’s in the final few games of the year or before the Play-In, would be a good sign for Orlando if they want to have any hope of finding a rhythm and attempting to make a postseason run.