Cole Anthony

Latest On Desmond Bane Trade

June 16th, 2025 at 8:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Several teams contacted the Grizzlies about Desmond Bane before they decided to trade him on Sunday, but nobody was as aggressive as the Magic, sources tell Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Orlando is determined to become a title contender and faced a glaring need to improve its three-point shooting after finishing last in the league in that category at 31.8%.

Bane is a 41% shooter from beyond the arc for his career and connected at 39.2% in 69 games last season. The 26-year-old shooting guard projects to be a perfect complement alongside Jalen Suggs in the Magic’s backcourt and should be more productive than Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who was Orlando’s major addition last summer.

“He’ll be a good fit,” an assistant coach told Bontemps. “There’s not a lot of guys that you would want to grab as your third option that can do it to the level that he can do it.”

Even so, Bontemps notes that there was surprise throughout the league about the price the Magic were willing to pay to acquire Bane. In addition to Caldwell-Pope and Cole Anthony, they gave up four first-round picks and a 2029 pick swap, including the 16th selection in this year’s draft.

Orlando also took on a significant financial commitment with Bane, who has four years and $163MM left on his contract. The Magic are likely facing huge tax bills in the future, especially once Paolo Banchero‘s upcoming extension kicks in. One scout suggested to Bontemps that Memphis may have been relieved to unload Bane’s contract.

“[The Grizzlies] did that extension before the new second apron rules kicked in and they were looking at that deal and liking it less,” he said. “Really good guy, good player, but [I] never thought of him as a max guy.”

Bontemps notes that Memphis general manager Zack Kleiman promised changes after being swept in the first round by Oklahoma City, and Sunday’s deal was the first step in that direction. A complete rebuild doesn’t seem likely, as sources told Bontemps that Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. aren’t expected to be dealt, but more moves appear to be coming as the franchise tries to clear up cap room to renegotiate and extend Jackson’s contract before he reaches free agency in 2026.

With the Grizzlies shifting to an up-tempo approach under new coach Tuomas Iisalo, Bontemps hears they’re confident that Jaylen Wells can become a long-term starter. The second-round pick is coming off an outstanding first season, averaging 10.4 PPG and finishing third in the Rookie of the Year voting.

Memphis is also happy with the cache of draft assets it received in the deal, particularly the 2026 selection that will almost certainly be the less favorable pick between Phoenix and Washington. Considering the current state of those two teams, there’s a chance the Grizzlies could wind up with an early pick in a very strong draft.

Bontemps adds that the uncertainty at the top of the East could inspire several teams to emulate Orlando by making a big deal, and there’s a league-wide feeling that numerous trades could take place by draft night.

“For them, they got to give themselves a chance,” one executive said. “They have gone to the playoffs two years in a row and had a first-round exit, and they look around and they’ve got a young group that’s trying to figure out how to take the next step.”

Grizzlies Notes: Trade, Finances, Caldwell-Pope, Coaching Staff

June 15th, 2025 at 9:00pm CST by Eli Cohen

In trading Desmond Bane, the Grizzlies moved on from a player who is possibly the best shooter in franchise history in a deal that has sweeping implications for the organization, writes Damichael Cole for Memphis Commercial Appeal. In addition to his offensive workload, Bane had also assumed a prominent leadership role in Memphis in recent years.

Despite moving Bane for a pick-heavy trade package, the Grizzlies aren’t expected to go into rebuild mode, Cole writes. Those picks will likely be used in trades, whether to bring in more talent or to clear cap room to help renegotiate Jaren Jackson Jr.‘s contract.

In the meantime, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will help shore up the perimeter defense around Ja Morant. While the shot creation will take a hit with the loss of Bane, Caldwell-Pope should still be a helpful floor spacer, despite coming off a down year with the Magic.

We have more notes from the Grizzlies:

Grizzlies fans shouldn’t be shocked if Cole Anthony is moved in a subsequent trade, as his fit with high-end backup point guard Scotty Pippen Jr. is questionable, writes Spotrac’s Keith Smith. While the trade will provide long-term financial flexibility for Memphis, it eats into the team’s ability to create cap space this summer, Smith notes, especially given the salary slot for the newly acquired 16th pick in the 2025 draft.
Caldwell-Pope’s durability could be a valuable asset for a Grizzlies team that has struggled to keep its best players on the floor, writes Jonah Dylan for Memphis Commercial Appeal. Memphis’ new wing has never played fewer than 67 games in a season over his 12-year career. He also brings championship experience to a team that has struggled to make good on its potential in previous playoff runs.
The Grizzlies are searching for a new top assistant for head coach Tuomas Iisalo‘s coaching staff, writes Marc Stein for The Stein Line (Substack link). Names being considered include Adrian Griffin, Mavericks assistant Jared Dudley, and Magic assistant Dale Osbourne.

Magic Acquire Desmond Bane From Grizzlies In Three-Player Deal

June 15th, 2025 at 4:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

4:02 pm: The trade is now official, per a Magic press release (Twitter link).

10:14 am: The Grizzlies will trade Desmond Bane to the Magic in exchange for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, four unprotected first-round picks and one first-round pick swap, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

Memphis will receive the 16th selection in this year’s draft, along with a “most favorable” 2026 first-round pick that will likely be Phoenix’s and unprotected first-rounders from Orlando in 2028 and 2030, Charania adds, noting that there’s light protection on the pick swap in 2029 (Twitter link).

Bane provides a potent offensive weapon for a Magic team that often struggled to score. He averaged 19.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 69 games this season with a .484/.392/.894 shooting line. He’ll be another scoring threat to team with Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner and should be a good complement to defensive specialist Jalen Suggs in the backcourt as Orlando looks to become a contender in what should be a weakened Eastern Conference.

The 27-year-old guard just completed the first season of a five-year, $197.2MM extension, so Orlando will be getting the security of a long-term contract. Bane will make $36.7MM next season, with that number rising to $44.9MM in the final year of his deal in 2028/29.

Caldwell-Pope wasn’t able to provide the Magic with consistent backcourt scoring after being signed away from Denver last offseason, but Charania notes that he’s a strong defensive wing who’ll bring championship experience to Memphis. Caldwell-Pope, 32, appeared in 77 games this season, averaging 8.7 PPG, his lowest scoring average since his rookie season. He shot 43.9% from the field and 34.2% from three-point range, significantly below the numbers he posted during his two years in Denver.

Caldwell-Pope has two years left on the deal he signed last summer and will earn $21,621,500 in each of the next two seasons.

Anthony has been a productive scorer during his five years in Orlando, but his playing time (18.4 minutes per game) and scoring average (9.4 PPG) both hit career lows this season. The 25-year-old guard will provide Memphis with instant offense off the bench and will make $13.1MM next season with a $13.1 team option for 2026/27.

Cap expert Yossi Gozlan tweets that the trade can be processed right away rather than waiting for the moratorium to be lifted on July 6. He adds that the Magic are required to do a 100% salary match because they project to be above the $195.9MM first apron next season. As a result of aggregating salaries, they will be hard-capped at the $207.8MM second apron in 2025/26, but can escape the luxury tax by declining team options on Moritz Wagner ($11MM) and Gary Harris ($7.5MM).

Gozlan also states that Orlando’s combined salary and tax bill could top $350MM in 2026/27 once Banchero’s expected max extension kicks in (Twitter link).

In addition, Gozlan notes that the deal will impact a possible renegotiation and extension for Jaren Jackson Jr. by decreasing the Grizzlies’ available cap space from $6.9MM to $4.5MM. Additional trades may be necessary to free up more money for Jackson.

ESPN’s Bobby Marks points out (via Twitter) that Bane has a 15% trade bonus in his contract, but it will be voided because it would push his salary over the maximum.

Florida Notes: Anthony, Bitadze, Ware, Heat

May 16th, 2025 at 10:00am CST by Rory Maher

Guard Cole Anthony had an up-and-down fifth season with the Magic, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. While the 25-year-old had some big performances, including a team-high 26 points in Orlando’s play-in victory over Atlanta, he wound up averaging career lows in multiple counting stats, including points (9.4), rebounds (3.0), assists (2.9) and minutes (18.4) per game during the regular season.

After taking some time off to recuperate both physically and mentally after a long season, Anthony says he plans to work on all aspects of his game this summer, with one particular area of emphasis.

“I just want to continue to become a better defender,” Anthony said. “That’s a big one for me. And just keep polishing my game, keep working on my jump shot, tighten up the handle, get stronger. … I don’t think there’s any part of the game I don’t want to improve. I’m just going to have a good summer and just lock in.”

Here a few more notes from the two Florida-based teams:

Although Magic center Goga Bitadze posted career-best numbers in several categories in 2024/25, he was out of the rotation by the end of the regular season and in the playoffs, Beede writes in another story for The Orlando Sentinel. Bitadze says he’s “super proud of himself” for the way he helped the team amid role changes and injuries, and he wants to continue to take strides in the offseason. “My shooting is going to be the first I’m going to work on,” Bitadze said. “Because it’s already there, it’s got to be a different mindset. All I’ve got to do is just trust in it and it’s going to help this team moving forward offensively. I’ve just got to keep working.”
Heat center Kel’el Ware will likely be named to one of the All-Rookie teams after a solid debut season, per Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. The 21-year-old big man says he gained confidence over the course of the season and learned from Miami’s first-round thrashing by Cleveland, but he knows he needs to add more muscle to his frame this summer. “I would say definitely the strength part of it,” Ware said. “That was really the main thing for me. That’s probably going to be the main thing I continue to work on during the offseason, to get better and get stronger. I would say that, definitely that.”
Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link) previews the Heat‘s offseason, including whether the team can trade for a star, how Davion Mitchell‘s restricted free agency might play out, and potential extensions for Tyler Herro and Nikola Jovic (the latter Gozlan views as unlikely). Gozlan also discussed the team’s offseason on a YouTube stream with Ethan Skolnick of 5 Reasons Sports.

Southeast Notes: Young, Rozier, Love, Magic, Wizards

April 23rd, 2025 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Asked during an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show (YouTube link) about Trae Young‘s future in Atlanta, NBA insider Chris Haynes said the Hawks guard has expressed to him that he’s “down with the process” and wants to see a young Atlanta team “turn the corner.” However, while Haynes hasn’t heard anything from Young’s camp to indicate that he’s seeking a change of scenery, he acknowledged that there are “definitely teams out there who are monitoring his situation.”

Within his preview of the Hawks’ offseason, John Hollinger of The Athletic also explores what’s in store for Young and the Hawks, noting that it’s hard to get a read on the team’s direction because there are already so many individuals who have some say in the front office, even before Atlanta hires a new head of basketball operations.

In addition to team owner Tony Ressler and his son Nick Ressler, executives who have a voice in personnel decisions include general manager Onsi Saleh, assistant GM Kyle Korver, and advisers Chris Grant and Chris Emens. Tony Ressler also sometimes asks for input from people outside of the basketball operations department, including minority owner Grant Hill. According to Hollinger, Hill is viewed by some sources as Ressler’s top choice to run the front office, but seems satisfied with his USA Basketball job.

While there has been “chatter” about the possibility of the Hawks entertaining a Young trade this offseason, it remains to be seen how strong his market would be, according to Hollinger, who suggests one possible reason the team traded Dejounte Murray instead of Young a year ago was because it would’ve been more difficult to extract value for Young.

We have more from around the Southeast:

Terry Rozier (ankle sprain) and Kevin Love (personal reasons) will be unavailable for the Heat in Game 2 of their series vs. Cleveland on Wednesday. Head coach Erik Spoelstra says he “feels” for both players, praising Rozier for maintaining a good work ethic even when he’s out of the rotation and adding that the team is there for Love during “what he’s going through,” per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.
Rozier told reporters that he’s “super frustrated” about injuring his ankle in a scrimmage, but he said the injury is already improving and didn’t require an MRI, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. The Heat guard described his status as “day to day.”
The Magic aren’t bothered by Al Horford‘s complaints about Orlando’s “extra” physicality in Game 1, including a hard foul by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope that resulted in Celtics star Jayson Tatum injuring his wrist. According to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required), head coach Jamahl Mosley said he didn’t think Caldwell-Pope deserved to be called for a flagrant foul on that play, while guard Cole Anthony said the Magic play “the right way” and aren’t trying to hurt anyone. “We’re going to keep mucking it up,” Anthony added. “You’re just giving us good feedback.”
The Wizards were voted the NBA’s second-worst organization in The Athletic’s latest player poll, with Brian Keefe receiving the most votes for the league’s worst coach. As Josh Robbins of The Athletic writes, those results suggest the Wizards have work to do to adjust the outside perception of the team, though veterans like Malcolm Brogdon and Khris Middleton have said since arriving in D.C. that they’ve been pleasantly surprised by how the organization functions.

Southeast Notes: Anthony, Wizards, Heat Play-In

April 17th, 2025 at 8:34pm CST by Earnest Marshall

Cole Anthony played a starring role in Orlando’s play-in victory over Atlanta on Tuesday, Josh Robbins of The Athletic writes. He scored 26 points and six assists to clinch the seventh seed for the Magic.

As Robbins writes, Anthony had a roller-coaster season in 2024/25, seeing his role fluctuate frequently as he averaged a career-low 18.4 minutes per game, so it was rewarding for him to help secure their spot in the playoffs.

“It’s been up-and-down for him,” head coach Jamahl Mosley said. “But just his energy, his spark, his juice, what he provides for this team coming off that bench, he plays fearlessly and that’s how we need him to continue to play.”

Now, the Magic are preparing for a first-round series against the 61-win Celtics.

“It was awesome, and we need that from him, to be ready and plug in and give us instant offense like that and just make the right play,” teammate Franz Wagner said.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

Even though they won just 18 games, this was a successful season from a developmental perspective for the Wizards. Three rookies — Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington and Kyshawn George — started a significant number of games while players like Bilal Coulibaly showed signs of development. In a piece exploring learnings from the season, Varun Shankar of The Washington Post pinpoints Justin Champagnie as a valuable player but writes that players like Richaun Holmes and Malcolm Brogdon might be on the way out in the offseason.
In his offseason preview for the Wizards, Keith Smith of Spotrac writes that players like Khris Middleton and Marcus Smart might have value for contending teams this offseason due to their contracts set to expire in 2026. In potential trade scenarios involving those players, the Wizards could take back long-term salary. Brogdon will be a free agent and the Wizards could theoretically involve him in a sign-and-trade while getting a minor asset in return. Outside of that, the Wizards will keep adding to their young core. Smith writes that AJ Johnson and Tristan Vukcevic are two young players in house to watch for bigger roles next year.
The Warriors‘ play-in victory over the Grizzlies ensures the Heat will receive Golden State’s first-round pick in June, which will be either 18th, 19th or 20th overall, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. That pick order will be determined by random drawing. Golden State’s pick was top-10 protected. Whether or not the Heat hang onto their own first-round pick will hinge on whether or not they beat Atlanta on Friday.
The Heat defeated the Bulls in the play-in tournament for the third straight year, with Tyler Herro serving as a major offensive catalyst, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes. Pelle Larsson, who played many minutes toward the end of the season in a starting role, returned from an ankle injury and was available on Wednesday, but didn’t play. Forward Nikola Jovic is also close to making his return after not playing since late February. He was upgraded to questionable for the first time since then and could potentially return in the playoffs.

Southeast Notes: Anthony, Houstan, Daniels, Rozier

April 1st, 2025 at 5:49pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Magic guard Cole Anthony returned to action on Tuesday after missing seven games with a left big toe strain. He was upgraded from questionable to available prior to Orlando’s contest against San Antonio, the team’s PR department tweets.

Anthony has appeared in 61 games this season, averaging 9.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists per contest. He’s in the first year of a three-year, $39.1MM contract.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

Caleb Houstan received rotation minutes over the past six Magic games in Anthony’s absence. The highlight of that stretch for Houstan was an 18-point outing against Sacramento on Saturday. “He’s always consistent, no matter if he’s playing or not playing, if he’s in or out of the rotation,” Paolo Banchero told Beede. “He’s always showing up, getting his work in. Every time he shoots it, it has a pretty good chance of going in.” Orlando holds a $2.19MM club option on Houstan’s contract for next season, which must be exercised by the end of June.
Hawks defensive ace Dyson Daniels, just named Defensive Player of the Month in the Eastern Conference, is pleased with the chemistry on the team. “I think we have really good pieces on this team, and pieces that work well together,” Daniels told Sportskeeda’s Grant Afseth. “Obviously, (Trae Young is) our guy, the motor of the team. We try to look after him, set him screens, get him open, and he does the same for us. He’s a really good passer.”
Terry Rozier had dropped out of the Heat‘s rotation until Monday, when he played 33 minutes against Washington with a host of players missing the contest. Rozier contributed 15 points, six rebounds and five assists. The veteran guard, who has one year left on his contract, admits it’s best a rough season for him. “It’s never easy for a competitor, especially me,” he said, per Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “You work so hard and then it just becomes unfortunate with the situation. But you just try to stay positive through it all, and give grace and still be thankful that I’m in this position. You try to keep working hard, waiting for my name to be called again.”

Magic Notes: Play-In Tournament, Fultz, Anthony, Isaac

March 29th, 2025 at 9:51pm CST by Arthur Hill

It’s been obvious for a while that the Magic are headed for the play-in tournament, and they officially clinched a spot with Saturday’s lopsided win over Sacramento, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. The 121-91 victory improves Orlando to 36-39 and extends its lead to 8.5 games over 11th-place Toronto.

The Magic got 63 combined points from Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Caleb Houstan and led by as many as 35 points. Coach Jamahl Mosley was happy about his team’s resilience after Thursday’s loss to Dallas.

“They responded the right way to the other night,” he said. “This group did a very good job of holding each other accountable and just continuing to play the right [way], first and foremost defensively.”

Orlando moved percentage points ahead of Atlanta in the battle for seventh place and the chance to host the play-in game for the No. 7 seed.

There’s more on the Magic:

Today’s game marked the return of Kings guard Markelle Fultz, who spent the last five seasons with Orlando, Beede adds. Fultz, who received a video tribute, remained a free agent for most of the season before signing with Sacramento in mid-February. “It’s known how I feel about Markelle, how we feel about Markelle, and what he does, what he means, who he is as a young man, as a husband, as a father,” Mosley told reporters before the game. “… All of those things about Markelle Fultz, I cannot speak more highly of a young man that I’ve ever been around.”
Cole Anthony missed his sixth straight game today with a strained left big toe. He posted “Back soon!!” on social media this week, but he still hasn’t been cleared for contact at practice, Beede states in a separate story. “He’s doing some individual things on the court,” Mosley said. “Just ball-handling, dribbling, light movements, all those little things.”
Jonathan Isaac has seen a sharp cutback in his playing time, averaging just 11 minutes per game since the All-Star break, Beede observes in another piece. The veteran forward, who’s averaging 5.3 PPG and shooting a career-low 26.2% from three-point range, acknowledged that he has to provide more offense to earn increased minutes. “I haven’t played well over the course of the season,” Isaac said. “I haven’t shot it well, haven’t played well overall. I’m not necessarily blaming anybody or mad at anybody but myself. This is where I’m at and I’ll be ready to play when my number’s called, provide energy and try to help this team win games.”

Southeast Notes: Anderson, Suggs, Anthony, Smith, Hornets

February 26th, 2025 at 5:16pm CST by Rory Maher

Although Kyle Anderson has been on five different teams over the course of his 11 NBA seasons, the deal that sent him from the Warriors to the Heat earlier this month was the first time he’d been traded, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Anderson says it’s been an adjustment period as his wife and five-year-old son stayed in California to finish the school year.

“It was a big one,” Anderson said of the whirlwind since the trade to the Heat. “I underestimated it, getting traded. I salute anybody that’s been traded multiple times in this league. There was just a lot going on with my experience in Golden State, then getting traded to a new team, not being with my family, being alone. It’s only been a few days and obviously Miami is a great city, but it still has some type of effect on you.”

Anderson wasn’t actually sure which team he’d end up on after it was reported that he might be rerouted to Toronto as part of the blockbuster Jimmy Butler trade. Instead, he wound up in Miami. The veteran forward said it was important to him to land with a team where he was “appreciated and wanted,” and he got a call from president Pat Riley and head coach Erik Spoelstra letting him know the Heat valued him.

“That meant a lot,” Anderson said. “Just letting me know they were happy to have me. That’s all I needed to hear. I didn’t want to go somewhere where I wasn’t really wanted.”

With Nikola Jovic out at least four weeks with a fractured hand, Anderson should continue to see an uptick in minutes. Spoelstra recently praised the 31-year-old’s two-way versatility and basketball IQ, according to Chiang.

Here’s more from the Southeast:

Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley shared injury updates today on guards Jalen Suggs and Cole Anthony, per Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter links). According to Mosley, neither player was able to practice on Wednesday. Suggs will miss his 14th straight on Thursday due to a left quad contusion, while Anthony is questionable vs. Golden State and considered day-to-day. Anthony sustained a hyperextended left knee in Tuesday’s lopsided loss to Cleveland, Beede notes.
After being buried on the depth chart early on in 2024/25, second-year Hornets guard Nick Smith Jr. was thrust into a significant rotation role as a result of injuries. As Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer writes, Smith has shown flashes of offensive upside as a starter over the past several weeks, but head coach Charles Lee says he needs to make progress on the other end to level up his game. “Defensively, that’s going to be his next kind of mission to improve upon,” Lee said. “We’ve had some good conversations and he’s been challenged in that area. And knowing Nick and knowing the competitor he is, he’s going to respond with a little more resistance, a little more physicality. The grit, the toughness, the energy that he has on the offensive end, I just want to see that same kind of mindset — how the young kids say, ‘Keep that same energy’ — I want that same energy down at the defensive end, too.”
Will the high-post screening and passing of Jusuf Nurkic be beneficial for Hornets star LaMelo Ball? The veteran big man believes so, according to Boone, who says the pairing should prove fruitful on offense — assuming Ball is able to return soon from an ankle injury. The former No. 3 overall pick is not listed on the injury report for Thursday’s game in Dallas (Twitter link), so he’s considered likely to suit up after appearing in just five of the past 14 contests.

Magic’s Franz Wagner Available To Return From Torn Oblique

January 23rd, 2025 at 4:26pm CST by Rory Maher

4:26pm: Wagner will indeed make his return from his torn oblique injury that caused him to miss 20 games, the Magic announced (via Twitter). Additionally, Howard will be listed as available after missing the past five games (Twitter link per Beede).

12:14pm: Forward Franz Wagner has been sidelined since December 6 — a span of 20 games — after tearing his right oblique, but he’s close to returning to action for the Magic, who have listed the former lottery pick as questionable for Thursday’s matchup with Portland, tweets Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel.

Head coach Jamahl Mosley said Wagner “was able to go through shootaround (on Thursday morning) and is obviously progressing well so we’ll see what the day brings after this shootaround.” Speaking to reporters afterward, Wagner confirmed there’s a chance he’ll play tonight (Twitter video link via Beede).

“(The questionable tag) means that I might play, I might not,” the German said with a smile. “We’ll see how the day goes. But it feels really good. It was a long process and I’m not the most patient person.”

Wagner, 23, was having a breakout fourth season for Orlando prior to the injury, averaging career-best numbers in several counting stats, including points (24.4), rebounds (5.6), assists (5.7) and steals per game (1.7). He posted a shooting slash line of .465/.321/.881 in 25 contests (33.2 minutes).

On January 14, Wagner had his status changed to “return to competition reconditioning,” stating at the time that his muscle had fully healed and that he felt good, but he needed to get back in playing shape. It was the first significant absence of his career — he had only missed 13 total games in three seasons leading up to 2024/25.

Wagner’s return appearing imminent is certainly great news for the Magic, who went just 7-13 without him, including losing their last four games. Orlando is currently the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference with a record of 23-22. The team has been dominant when Wagner is on the court (plus-8.6 per 100 possession), but has struggled mightily (minus-5.9) when he’s not.

Orlando has dealt with significant injury absences all season. Mosley provided updates on several other injured players on Thursday, according to Beede:

Goga Bitadze (concussion protocol) did some on-court work on Thursday to see how he’ll respond, but he didn’t take contact and he’s listed as doubtful Thursday.
Both Jalen Suggs (low back strain) and Gary Harris (left hamstring strain) worked out Thursday and the team will see how they’re doing afterward. Suggs remains out, while Harris is questionable vs. Portland.
Jonathan Isaac (illness) is officially questionable, but Mosley said he’s feeling much better and will suit up tonight.
Cole Anthony is also dealing with an illness and wasn’t at shootaround, but there’s a chance he could play if he’s feeling better in a handful of hours — he’s officially questionable.
Jett Howard (left ankle sprain) is questionable. He did some on-court work at shootaround.

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