Orlando Magic

Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (ankle) won't play on Friday against Denver. The 22-year-old logged five minutes in Wednesday's double-overtime loss to the Sacramento Kings before exiting with a sprained ankle, finishing with six points. However, he'll now miss his first game of the year, although there's a chance his absence could extend beyond Friday's meeting with the defending champs. Fortunately, Paolo Banchero, who also tweaked his ankle versus the Kings, isn't on the injury report, which will lessen the blow caused by Wagner's absence. At the same time, Cole Anthony (quadriceps) and Jalen Suggs should see an uptick on the scoring end, with guys like Moritz Wagner, Anthony Black, and Wendell Carter Jr. expected to get more involved.

Orlando Magic guard Gary Harris (calf) has been ruled out ahead of Friday's game against the Denver Nuggets. This doesn't come as a shock after Harris left after only 12 minutes during Wednesday's game due to a calf strain. That resulted in Trevelin Queen and Anthony Black having bigger roles in the rotation. Black has been starting for the Magic, but Queen is the better streaming choice between the two, assuming he gets significant playing time. It's also worth noting that Cole Anthony (quad) has been removed from the injury report. He's expected to help fill the void left by Harris on Friday.

Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony (quad) has been removed from the injury report ahead of Friday's game against the Denver Nuggets. This is great news after Anthony sat out Wednesday's double-overtime loss to the Sacramento Kings. There is no word of Anthony being limited, so the expectation is that he'll be fully ready to go. He could even see an expanded role with Gary Harris (calf) ruled out for Friday's game. Anthony Black should also remain in the mix, but Anthony is a much better streaming option.

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (ankle), who suffered a sprained right ankle in the third quarter of Wednesday's 138-135 double-overtime loss to the Sacramento Kings, achieved a career-high 43 points with six three-pointers, five assists, four rebounds, and eight turnovers. It was the second night of Orlando's back-to-back after Tuesday's hard-fought matchup with the Golden State Warriors, and Banchero nearly played the role of hero. The 21-year-old reigning Rookie of the Year remains a far superior points-league fantasy asset for his 70.4% free-throw shooting on heavy volume and 3.3 turnovers per game, but he is still pouring in 22.4 points, 7.1 boards, 4.7 dimes, 1.5 triples, and 1.0 steals. Banchero may pop up on Friday's injury report when the Magic finish a four-game West Coast trip with a duel against the defending-champion Denver Nuggets.

Orlando Magic guard/forward Gary Harris had to cut his night short against the Kings on Wednesday due to a right calf strain. He logged 12 minutes as a starter, posting five points with one steal. Harris' addition pushed Anthony Black to the bench for the first time since early November, but he should be back in frame for a starter's role if it's a serious injury for Harris, although Trevelin Queen took the position in Harris' absence in the second half on Wednesday. Queen ended up logging 38 minutes in a double-overtime loss and notched five points with six assists and two steals. It wasn't a very productive outing, but the Magic could be forced to give him a new shot in the next game, as there simply aren't many healthy bodies remaining on the team.