Franz Wagner Hopes To Move Past Injury Issues
Magic forward Franz Wagner is coming off the most frustrating season of his NBA career, as a recurring left high ankle sprain caused him to miss 48 games. In an interview with Cyro Asseo of HoopsHype, Wagner talks about the difficulty of not being able to overcome the injury and admits it might have been a mistake for him to play when the team visited his native Germany on January 15.
“It was very challenging. At the end of the day, if we’re not healthy as athletes, we can’t do our jobs, so that’s the most important thing,” Wagner said. “And so there’s always that pressure that you need to be out there and perform and help the team out. So not being able to do that and not seeing the results in rehab, too, when you’re going really hard, it was really frustrating for me. And basically, trying to rehab the same injury three times in a year was tough for me, always having the same kind of setback feeling.
“The way it went, I probably shouldn’t have played (in Germany). Everybody understands the situation that it was, and honestly, I hate to say it, but I don’t really regret the decision to play. It was that special of a moment for me, and for a lot of other people who were there. So, it just happened to be a bad moment in time, probably, but maybe some people hate me for this, but it was a really special moment for my family and me. So, I was happy that I got the chance to at least be out there.”
Wagner’s season got off to a promising start, as he averaged 23.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists in his first 23 games. He suffered the injury in the next contest and sat out 16 straight games before returning for a pair in Berlin and London. He was sidelined for another nine games after that, then came back on February 9 and 11 before experiencing another setback. He returned for six games in April, then played the first four games of a playoff series against Detroit before suffering a right calf strain.
Wagner addressed several more topics in the interview. Here are a few highlights:
Playing in front of the Berlin crowd a few months after capturing gold at EuroBasket:
“You gotta understand, basketball is a very much growing sport in Germany, and we have had great success with the national team these last couple of years. So in my mind, I’m trying to capitalize on the moment a little bit, and the game in Berlin was a big part of that. Like I said, we need as many people, as many kids starting the sport to play, and that’s kind of the whole goal of this, to grow the sport at home. And moments like that, I know I would have killed to be at an NBA game when I was a kid. So, I know how special it was for everybody who was there.”
His offseason approach to avoid more injuries:
“It’s rehabbing first of all, the injuries that I did have, and then sort of addressing some of the patterns, maybe why injuries keep coming up. That’s the goal: that you’re not hurt at all, and not just treating symptoms when they come up, but taking preventive measures. I have a great amount of time now in the summer to do some of that.”
The coaching change in Orlando, with Spurs top assistant Sean Sweeney replacing Jamahl Mosley:
“For sure, it’s very exciting for all of us. We’ve played pretty much the same core together for five years, and it’s gonna be a lot of change in the building next year. I haven’t met Sweeney yet in person, but just texting back and forth, you can feel the excitement from him too. And it speaks to his work ethic as well as character. Getting a job that young is not easy. It hasn’t been too much; he’s still in the Finals. I also want to respect that, but we’re all really excited for next year.”
And-Ones: Eurocamp Mentors, Doncic, Osman, Condon, Cotton
This year’s Adidas Eurocamp, which serves as a platform for international basketball prospects to gain prominence among decision-makers around the globe, will be well-represented by NBA players who will serve as special guests and mentors in Franz Wagner (Magic), Bogdan Bogdanovic (Clippers), and VJ Edgecombe (Sixers), Johnny Askounis writes for Eurohoops.
Those are not the only NBA representatives who will be present. Bucks assistants Dave Joerger and Rex Kalamian will help run things, as will Sixers coaches Rico Hines and Bryan Gates and Phil Handy from the Mavericks, among others.
As far as participants in the camp go, the biggest names are Oscar Wembanyama, the 6’8″, 19-year-old brother of Victor Wembanyama, along with Australian guard/wing Dash Daniels, French forward Meissa Faye, Italian guard David Torresani, and Swann Penda, brother of Magic draft pick Noah Penda.
The games, which take place from June 5 to 7, will be streamed on Adidas’ YouTube channel.
We have more from around the world of international hoops:
- Lakers star Luka Doncic was approached by former Mavericks general manager Donnie Nelson this season and asked if he wanted to help try to move a professional basketball team to Rome, Tani Ganguli writes for The New York Times. It was an easy decision for Doncic to say yes. The pair is now heading up an investment group that is attempting to bring Vanoli Cremona from northern Italy to the capital city as part of the NBA’s continued efforts to get its NBA Europe league off the ground. “Since I came to the N.B.A., my dream was always to own a team in Europe, especially because Europe gave me so much,” Doncic said. “… I am the player I am because of Euroleague.”
- Panathinaikos is headed to the Greek League Finals due in large part to the contributions of ex-NBA player Cedi Osman, who had 29 points with five made threes in the final game of the semi-finals sweep over PAOK BC. Former Knicks point guard Jerian Grant had 15 points, while Nigel Hayes-Davis, who played 27 games for the Suns this season, added 14. On the other side of the box score, Patrick Beverley had 14 points and 11 assists for PAOK. Osman scored 14 points in the third quarter, turning the momentum of the game, per the Eurohoops team. Panathinaikos will face Olympiacos in the Finals.
- The Australian national team selection for the FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers is taking shape, with Alex Condon, who recently withdrew from the NBA draft to return to Florida, Cavaliers rookie Tyrese Proctor, and former NBA guard Bryce Cotton among the bigger names, per Olgun Uluc of ESPN. Cotton, who played two years in the NBA between 2014 and 2016, has been an NBL staple for nearly a decade. He has led the league in scoring nine times, has won six MVPs, and three championships, for which he received two NBL Grand Final MVP awards.
Magic Notes: Roster, Coaching Search, Mosley, Isaac
The Magic are making a head coaching change this spring, but president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman doesn’t believe significant roster changes are necessary for the team to take the next step toward title contention, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.
Although Weltman admitted that losing a first-round series after leading 3-1 – and holding a 24-point lead in Game 6 – was a “gut punch” for his team, he believes that it’s a positive that Orlando was one game from closing out the top-seeded Pistons before Franz Wagner went down with a calf injury.
“When healthy, we were top five (on) defense and top 10 (on) offense,” Weltman said. “… I think we saw some of what we had hoped to see (against Detroit). So I don’t want to tear this thing down and dismantle it because of the way it ended and certainly one half.”
Injuries have been a recurring issue for this version of the Magic. Wagner was limited to 34 regular season appearances this season, largely due to a nagging ankle problem, while Wagner, Paolo Banchero, and Jalen Suggs all had extended health-related absences in 2024/25.
“It’s very frustrating,” Weltman said, per Youngmisuk. “But it’s also very encouraging because whenever they are together, they have been elite. I feel like there are different ways to build a team. We are built on physicality, versatility, good defensive personnel and ultimately guys that can elevate their games in the playoffs. I think what we had hoped to happen in the playoffs happened. But obviously it’s hard to outrun injuries.
“… Had we stayed healthy, I’d like to imagine where we would have gone in this series and beyond. I think when you build a team for the playoffs, you try to construct a roster that has the attributes that we have. It’s not easy to get the positional versatility, guys that can elevate their games when it matters the most. The physicality, a lot of the way that we are built is designed to be successful in the playoffs.
Here’s more on the Magic:
- Not everyone around the league shares Weltman’s rosy view of his roster. One Eastern Conference scout who spoke to Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst of ESPN said the Magic are “kind of a mess,” adding that Banchero and Wagner overlap as “iffy” shooters who need the ball in their hands to be most effective. “Their ceiling just isn’t very high with Paolo. Their roster construction is just off,” the scout said. “Paolo has to have the ball to make an impact. He reminds me of Julius Randle: great size, great talent, but he’s more of a floor-(raiser) than ceiling-raiser. Having him lead your team is tough to pull off.”
- Weltman spoke at length at his end-of-season presser about the Magic’s impending head coaching search, though he said the team isn’t looking for a “particular trait or a quality,” suggesting that he wants to keep an open mind about potential candidates, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required). Weltman wouldn’t even say whether he prefers someone with or without prior head coaching experience. “I don’t want to kind of come to it with any preconceived non-negotiables,” he explained. “There are some really talented young guys out there that haven’t gotten a chance yet – as (Jamahl Mosley) was. There are also some guys that have proven that they can do the job. What’s the best fit for our team right now? I don’t think you can really know more than speculate until we really like … get in and talk to them and exchange ideas and their thoughts on our team. That’ll hopefully lead us where we need to go; the more preconditions you put on that, maybe you kind of give yourself a worse chance of getting to the right place.”
- Speaking of Mosley, he put out a formal statement on Monday after being let go by the team, referring to his five years on the job as “incredible.” Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link) has the full statement.
- Within his preview of the Magic’s offseason, ESPN’s Bobby Marks says adding more shooting off the bench will be a priority, as will acquiring an athletic, rebounding big man and a play-making reserve guard. Marks also considers whether Orlando will sign Anthony Black to a rookie scale extension and suggests Jonathan Isaac is a potential release candidate, since only $8MM of the $44MM left on his contract is guaranteed and that money could be spread across seven seasons using the stretch provision.
Magic Won’t Replace Jeff Weltman After First-Round Loss
The Magic are expected to make changes to their roster and coaching staff after losing Game 7 in Detroit on Sunday, but president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman‘s job is safe, two sources tell Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Weltman reportedly signed an extension early in the season around the time that the team advanced to the semifinals of the NBA Cup.
Everything else appears to be on the table after another disappointing playoff run that saw Orlando lose in the first round for the third straight year. The Magic seemed to be on the way to upsetting the top-seeded Pistons after winning Game 1 in Detroit and taking a 3-1 series advantage, but they let a 24-point lead slip away in Game 6 and never recovered.
The first expected move is the dismissal of head coach Jamahl Mosley, who has been the target of rumors about his job security since the season began in October. Weltman opted to stick with Mosley even after some puzzling losses that led to a 45-37 record and the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference, but the fifth-year coach may not survive this latest playoff ouster.
The Magic were hoping to become one of the East’s top teams after trading for Desmond Bane last summer, and management was very confident that they were headed in that direction with a healthy starting lineup, according to Robbins. The season took an unfortunate turn when Franz Wagner suffered a high ankle sprain on December 7 that sidelined him for most of the campaign.
Paolo Banchero and Jalen Suggs also missed time with injuries, meaning that the team’s preferred starting lineup was only available for 19 games. Robbins notes that Orlando outscored opponents by 11.6 points per 100 possessions when they were all on the court together and posted an elite defensive rating of 105.2 points per 100 possessions.
They were putting up similar numbers in the first round before Wagner suffered a right calf strain in Game 4 that knocked him out for the rest of the series. Robbins states that Wagner is the Magic’s best all-around player, and his absence created a huge hole for the team as it tried to close out Detroit. Mosley was using him as the primary defender on Pistons star Cade Cunningham, who shot just 42.4% from the field and 28.6% from three-point range while averaging 6.8 turnovers in the first four games of the series.
“When one of your best players goes down, it definitely changes a lot, especially a guy like Franz,” Wendell Carter Jr. said. “Franz’s IQ for the game, his will, his determination — he’s the ultimate competitor and one of the best teammates I’ve ever had. So, when he went down, it was tough, for sure. But we still gave ourself a chance even with him being out. I think we just drank the Kool-Aid. We were just right there.”
Robbins observes that Orlando’s defensive identity has come at the expense of outside shooting. Suggs, Banchero, Wagner and Anthony Black are all below-average three-point shooters for their positions, while Jett Howard, who was drafted in the first round in 2023 to help with shooting issues, never progressed enough defensively to earn the trust of the coaching staff.
Finding a traditional point guard to run the offense could be a priority for the summer, Robbins suggests. Wagner and Banchero handle most of the play-making duties, while Suggs is more of a defensive specialist who has struggled with turnovers and his outside shot. Tyus Jones was signed in free agency last summer, but he was disappointing on both ends of the court and the Magic traded him at the deadline to avoid the tax in a deal that cost them two second-round picks.
Banchero’s maximum extension will kick in next season, making the core of the roster even more expensive. Robbins points to Suggs, who has four years left on his contract, as a potential trade candidate, but notes that his injury history might limit his value.
While a roster shakeup could be necessary along with a coaching change, Robbins cautions that Orlando’s cap situation and reduced stock of draft picks after the Bane trade will limit its ability to make moves this offseason.
Southeast Notes: Hawks, Magic, Banchero, Riley
While the Hawks‘ playoff run ended in disappointing fashion, it helped them gain a better understanding of the roster and where it needs to go moving forward, Lauren Williams writes for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The Hawks have two first-round picks and plan on not skipping steps as they work to build the team into a contender. They also have financial flexibility, which could be used to bring in free agents or negotiate new deals with current players. They are unlikely to make a huge swing, but will continue to build piece by piece.
“We’re not a single player away from being what we want to be,” general manager Onsi Saleh said. “When I came here, the biggest thing was, how do we become sustainable?”
CJ McCollum is likely to return, as is Jonathan Kuminga, Williams writes. On the other hand, she considers players like Gabe Vincent, Keaton Wallace, Buddy Hield, and Tony Bradley “a coin toss” to be back.
We have more from around the Southeast Division:
- The Magic failed to end a 16-year run without winning a playoff series, falling in Game 7 to the Pistons after having held a 3-1 series lead. They have to be wondering what would have happened had wing Franz Wagner not missed the final three games of the series, writes Josh Robbins of The Athletic. The series showed that Orlando needs someone who organizes the offense, rather than the point-guard-by-committee approach the team employed this season. Guard Desmond Bane also pointed to rebounding as an area that cost the Magic, as they were out-rebounded in all four losses, notes Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel (Twitter video link).
- Magic star Paolo Banchero had an up-and-down series, and he issued a warning that the team is not at the level it needs to be after the Game 7 defeat. “Losing in the first round is not acceptable. That should be the attitude,” he said, per HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto (Twitter video link). “It shouldn’t be comfortable in the building. It should be everybody on their Ps and Qs feeling pressure to be great. I think that’s the mindset that needs to be there from top to bottom.”
- Much of Pat Riley‘s end-of-season press conference has been widely discussed, but some talking points from the Heat president deserve more attention, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Twice in the presser, Riley seemed to hint that head coach Erik Spoelstra needed to be more willing to allow young players to play through mistakes. “Even if it costs you during the regular season, you got to play it through their bad times, and you got to play it through their ups and downs,” he said. “I’ve read all the criticism of our young players, but nobody ever really… gives them the space to be young and to make mistakes, and not to be who you think they should be in three or four years…. They’re not the top five picks in the draft.” He also seemed to hint at the possibility of putting the Heat’s lottery pick, which projects to be 13th overall, on the table in a potential deal for a star, while adding that he doesn’t want to bring in someone he considers “damaged goods.”
Magic Notes: Game 6 Collapse, F. Wagner, Game 7
The No. 8 Magic had a great chance to complete their first-round upset of the top-seeded Pistons on Friday. They led 60-38 at halftime and were up 24 points early in the third quarter, writes Josh Robbins of The Athletic.
However, the rest of the game was an entirely different story, as Orlando only managed to score 19 points over the final two quarters, the fewest points in a half in NBA playoff history. The Magic missed 23 shots in a row over a prolonged stretch, ultimately losing by 14 points.
“I think they were just playing more desperate than us, playing harder than us,” guard Desmond Bane said. “Whether it was offensive rebounds or heating up their pressure to get steals, it really kind of took us out of our stuff, messed with our flow. I mean, it’s going to be hard to win games (when) you score 19 points in a half, and I thought a lot of that was because they came out with more energy than us in the second half.”
While there’s recent precedent for the Magic collapsing — Toronto went on a historic 31-0 run against Orlando on March 29, Robbins notes — Friday’s game was different due to the stakes.
“This team always shows fight,” head coach Jamahl Mosley said. “There’s no other way to put it: This does suck. You know, you have a 24-point lead, and we let it go, and I think that the reality is it’s got to sting, and it’s got to hurt right now. But you’ve got to be able to bounce back, and you’ve given yourself an opportunity to go get it done in Game 7.”
Here’s more on the Magic, whose Game 7 matchup at Detroit will take place on Sunday at 3:30 pm ET:
- Mike Prada of The Athletic shares some of the historically inept stats from Game 6. The Magic shot just 4-of-37 in the second half, the worst field goal percentage (10.8%) in a half by any team — regular season or playoffs — since 1997/98. They were 3-for-17 in the third quarter, when they scored 11 points, and 1-of-20 in the fourth, when they only managed eight. The 1-for-20 mark was, unsurprisingly, the worst field goal percentage (5.0%) in a playoff quarter in the play-by-play era, Prada adds.
- Star forward Franz Wagner has been ruled out of Game 7 as he continues to deal with a right calf strain, tweets Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. The 24-year-old German suffered the injury in the third quarter of Game 5.
- As badly as the second half of Game 6 went for Orlando, the team remains confident it can emerge victorious on Sunday and advance to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2010, according to Beede. “We all believe already what we’re about to go do,” guard Anthony Black said. “It’s one game. That’s all that matters,” added star forward Paolo Banchero. “We’ve got to do whatever it takes.”
Injury Updates: Ingram, Harris, Huerter, F. Wagner, Isaac
As expected, the Raptors will be down their leading scorer as they try to avoid elimination on Friday, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter link). After being downgraded to doubtful earlier in the day due to right heel inflammation, All-Star forward Brandon Ingram will be sidelined for the Game 6 home contest vs. Cleveland.
Ingram, who exited Game 5 in the second quarter after aggravating a heel issue that sidelined him for three games during the final few weeks of the regular season, is still experiencing pain in that right heel and wasn’t on the court for the portion of Friday’s shootaround. Toronto will also be without starting guard Immanuel Quickley, who will miss the entire series due to a hamstring strain.
On a more positive note for the Raptors, Scottie Barnes wasn’t on the injury report ahead of tonight’s game after Toronto’s other All-Star took a hit to the thigh in Wednesday’s loss.
“He’s feeling good,” head coach Darko Rajakovic said of Barnes (Twitter link via Lewenberg). “It’s awesome to be young and recover quickly.”
Here are more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Pistons starting forward Tobias Harris (left ankle sprain) will be active for Friday’s Game 6 in Orlando, but reserve wing Kevin Huerter (left adductor strain) is out, tweets Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. As we noted earlier on Friday when both players were questionable, Huerter has played a modest role in the series, but Harris has scored at least 16 points in each of the first five games. Detroit is also facing elimination, currently at a 3-2 deficit in the first-round matchup.
- Magic star Franz Wagner will miss his second straight game on Friday due to a right calf strain, and his return doesn’t sound imminent. Head coach Jamahl Mosley said the German forward wasn’t able to do anything at Friday’s shootaround, according to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Wagner, who was in a walking boot on Wednesday, suggested ahead of Game 5 that he and the team would take a cautious approach due to the nature of the injury.
- In addition to Wagner, the Magic will be without Jonathan Isaac again on Friday. The veteran big man continues to battle a left knee sprain he suffered on March 12. Mosley said Friday morning that Isaac still hasn’t done contact work, Beede writes. “Just how he responds to each part of treatment,” Mosley said. “Some days it’s feeling a certain way. Some days it might not feel as great. So we’re always going to be cautious and smart about how they respond to each treatment each time they go through it.”
Magic’s Franz Wagner (Calf) To Remain Out For Game 6
Magic forward Franz Wagner will remain out for Friday’s Game 6, tweets Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. The 24-year-old German strained his right calf during Monday’s Game 4, which gave the No. 8 Magic a 3-1 lead in their first-round matchup against the top-seeded Pistons, and was sidelined for Wednesday’s Game 5 loss in Detroit.
Through four playoff games this spring, Wagner averaged 16.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.8 steals in 30.5 minutes per night, with a .439/.333/.933 shooting line. He was also Orlando’s primary defender on Cade Cunningham, who erupted for 45 points on Wednesday to help Detroit stave off elimination, observes Josh Robbins of The Athletic.
Cunningham, who set the Pistons’ single-game playoff record for points, had only recorded 17 points on 6-of-24 shooting (plus six turnovers) when he was being defended by Wagner, according to ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk.
Still, as Robbins writes, the Magic’s problems on Wednesday were largely self-inflected, as they gave up 16 offensive rebounds and made just 16 of their 30 free throws in the seven-point loss. Paolo Banchero (45 points on 17-of-31 shooting, nine rebounds, seven assists in 41 minutes) had “one of the best games of his life,” but even he struggled at the line (5-of-12), according to Robbins.
“They played really hard, but that’s how they always play,” Banchero said of the Pistons. “In front of their home crowd, they brought their energy, they attacked the boards, gave themselves second-chance points. Yeah, we didn’t expect them to lay down, and they didn’t lay down, and we gave ourselves a chance. But they did just a little more on some of the little things.”
Cunningham and Banchero became just the second pair of players in NBA history to score 45 points while dueling against each other in the playoffs, per Youngmisuk, joining Donovan Mitchell (51) and Jamal Murray (50) in 2020.
“That’s what’s up,” Cunningham said. “I’m sure it was a great game. Hope the fans enjoy it, but it was a great win for us.
“… Not everybody is blessed with those types of opportunities to have pressure and things on the line like that. A lot of times I feel undeserving of how great of moments I get to be a part of. Just try to make the most of it.”
The Magic will be looking to bounce back and wrap up the first-round upset on Friday in a matchup of two teams with very similar strengths (physicality, defense) and weaknesses (shooting), Robbins notes. The Orlando has gone 8-1 at home in the playoffs under head coach Jamahl Mosley, but the team will be missing Wagner, one of its best players.
“We’re going to be in front of our home crowd on Friday, so it’s our turn to protect home,” Banchero said. “We’ve done a great job at that. Obviously, they’re going to be desperate. We’re going to be desperate. So it’s going to be another war. We’ve just got to be ready for it.”
Injury Notes: Gordon, Hyland, Wagner, Isaac, Huerter, Hart
Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon is listed as questionable in the official injury report for Thursday’s Game 6 at Minnesota. Gordon wasn’t available for Games 3 and 5, but he managed to play through the pain caused by tightness in his left calf and logged 23 minutes in Saturday’s Game 4.
Tomorrow will be another must-win for Denver, which trails 3-2 in the series. Coach David Adelman talked to reporters, including Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (Twitter link), about what will go into making the decision on Gordon’s availability.
“I though Aaron in the first half (of Game 4) was very different from Aaron in the second half,” Adelman said. “And I know in both halves, he wasn’t moving great. So I’m not saying he looked great the first half. But I thought his mobility, the way he guarded (Julius) Randle in the post, we need that. I thought in the second half, you could see the wear and tear. Not to mention, for me, one of the hardest parts of a guy like that is you’ve gotta get him back on the court quicker (after he subs out). And I think when you get to halftime, you sit there for 20 minutes, that doesn’t help anyone.
“So I’m not a doctor. I’m not a trainer. But obviously, you guys could see it. I could see it. There’s a point where it’s not good for him; it’s not good for the team. And everybody knows that Aaron wants to play. The guy’s the ultimate teammate. He’s been so good for us over the years. But we have to do what’s right for him and the team.”
Gordon and Peyton Watson, who remains sidelined with a hamstring issue, worked out after today’s walkthrough, according to Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette (Twitter link).
Other than Donte DiVincenzo and Anthony Edwards, who both suffered serious injuries on Saturday, the only player listed on the Timberwolves‘ injury report is Bones Hyland, who is questionable due to left knee soreness.
We have a few more injury-related updates from around the league:
- Magic forward Franz Wagner, who was ruled out of tonight’s Game 5 with a calf strain, offered an update on his condition, per Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link).“I hate to miss any game, especially in this situation,” Wagner said. “But I think there are things that are really important. Obviously, we know the history of other guys that have gotten hurt. So like I said, you’ve got to be careful with this kind of injury.” Wagner had his right foot in a boot as he spoke with the media, adds Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link). Jamal Cain took Wagner’s place in the starting lineup.
- The Magic are also missing backup big man Jonathan Isaac, who’s out with a left knee sprain, per Marc Stein of the Stein Line (Twitter link).
- The Pistons are playing tonight without Kevin Huerter, who’s sidelined with a left adductor strain, relays Hunter Patterson of The Athletic (Twitter link).
- The Knicks are listing Josh Hart as questionable for Thursday’s Game 6 with a lower back contusion, tweets Fred Katz of The Athletic.
Franz Wagner Has Calf Strain, Will Miss Game 5
April 29, 4:36 pm: Magic coach Jamahl Mosley confirmed that Wagner won’t be available for the game, according to Hunter Patterson of The Athletic (Twitter link). Mosley adds that he’s not sure if there’s a timeline for Wagner’s return, and his status will depend on how he responds to treatment (Twitter link).
April 29, 10:06 am: Wagner attended the Magic’s shootaround on Wednesday morning but didn’t participate, a team official tells Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link).
According to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link), Magic forward Paolo Banchero told reporters after the shootaround that the team isn’t expecting Wagner to be active for Game 5.
April 28, 1:35 pm: Magic forward Franz Wagner, who underwent an MRI on Tuesday after exiting Monday’s game due to calf tightness, has been diagnosed with a right calf strain, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
According to Charania, Wagner’s status for Game 5 of the series is up in the air and will depend on his response to treatment. The Magic have confirmed Charania’s reporting and indicated the 24-year-old will be listed as questionable for Wednesday’s contest (Twitter link).
The fact that Wagner hasn’t already been ruled out for Wednesday’s game is a positive sign for Orlando and suggests that the strain must be a mild one. Still, even a Grade 1 strain typically causes players to miss at least a week or so, so it would be a bit of a surprise if Wagner is active for Game 5. The Magic certainly won’t want to take their 3-1 series lead for granted against a 60-win Pistons team, but calf issues are tricky to manage and can lead to more serious injuries if they’re mishandled.
Despite sitting out the fourth quarter of Game 4, Wagner scored 19 points, matching his series high. Through four playoff games, he has averaged 16.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.8 steals in 30.5 minutes per night, with a .439/.333/.933 shooting line.
Reserve wing Jamal Cain was on the court for the entire fourth quarter in Wagner’s place on Monday and played a key role in the victory, acting as the primary defender on Pistons star Cade Cunningham and throwing down an emphatic highlight-reel dunk, as Josh Robbins of The Athletic details.
Based on his Game 5 usage, Cain may be the leading candidate to move into the starting lineup if Wagner sits, though Anthony Black and Tristan Da Silva also started several games during the regular season when the German forward was inactive due to an ankle injury.