Orlando Magic DVOA, Stats, & NBA Rankings

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (conditioning) has officially been listed as questionable for Friday's game against the Milwaukee Bucks. Shams Charania of ESPN reported earlier this week that Banchero would likely make his long-awaited return on Friday, so this could be more of a formality to make sure he feels okay through shootaround and warmups. Just in case, fantasy managers can look to Caleb Houstan as a streaming option after he posted 14 points, one rebound, one assist, and four threes in the first half of their back-to-back on Thursday.

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (oblique) will return from his extended injury absence when the Magic face the Bucks on Friday, according to NBA Insider Chris Haynes. Banchero was officially listed as questionable for Thursday's game against the Timberwolves, but according to this report, he will miss one more game before returning for the second half of Orlando's back-to-back. Banchero got off to a great start to the season, averaging 29.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 36.3 minutes per game in his first five games of the season. He looked ready to make the leap to superstar status before being shelved since October 30. While he will likely play limited minutes in his first few games back, he is an elite fantasy producer. He should step into a large role as soon as possible since the Magic remain without Jalen Suggs (back) and Franz Wagner (oblique).

Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs went through further evaluation by the team, and they confirmed that he is dealing with a low back strain. Suggs has missed Orlando's last two games and was already ruled out for Thursday's matchup. He'll be sidelined indefinitely while undergoing treatment, and how he responds to that treatment will ultimately determine how many games he misses. He seems very unlikely to play Friday against the Bucks when the Magic finish their back-to-back. While he is out, Cole Anthony will likely continue to start at point guard for the Magic, with Anthony Black and Cory Joseph getting more minutes as well.

Orlando Magic center Moritz Wagner underwent successful surgery on Wednesday, January 8 to repair the torn ACL in his left knee that he sustained December 21 against the Heat. The team announced that Wagner will miss the rest of the year. The 27-year-old is under contract with the Magic for the 2025-26 season and will likely continue to play alongside his younger brother, Franz Wagner. In his 30 games before getting hurt, Wagner averaged 18.8 minutes and scored a career-high 12.9 points per game to go with 4.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 0.8 steals per contest. Orlando will hope he can contribute to the team's frontcourt rotation next season after recovering from this surgery.

Despite practicing Wednesday, Orlando Magic guardJalen Suggs(back) will not play against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday due to a back strain. His next opportunity to get back on the floor comes on Friday against Milwaukee which is the second half of a back-to-back set. While the 23-year-old is sidelined, Cole Anthonyshould continue to start. Jett HowardandTrevelin Queenwill get some scoring opportunities coming off the bench as well.