Paolo Banchero is reportedly out for four to six weeks with a high ankle sprain, a brutal blow that hits the Orlando Magic just two games into the 2026-27 season. This team, which just went all in on a Desmond Bane trade last summer to become an Eastern Conference contender, is now sitting at 0-2 and facing down a month and a half without their star. Talk about a gut punch.
The Curse Is Real For Orlando’s Young Trio
Seriously, what in the world is going on in Orlando? The Magic drafted Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner, and Banchero in three straight lotteries, pushed Donovan Mitchell and the Cavaliers to seven games in the 2024 playoffs, and looked primed for a breakout. But we’ve barely gotten to see this talented trio on the floor together. Over the last two seasons, Banchero, Wagner, and Suggs have only managed to play in a measly 25 games as a unit. Twenty-five games!
It’s a broken record of injuries. Last year, Wagner and Suggs missed a combined 73 games. The year before that, Banchero and Wagner both tore their obliques and were out for significant time. Banchero missed 34 games, and just when he was ready to return, Wagner went down for six weeks with the exact same injury. You’d think the injury luck needle *had* to swing their way this season, but nope. Here we are again, and it’s Banchero headed to the sideline after a roaring start with 35 points in the opener and another 14 in the first half on Friday against the Timberwolves. He was shooting almost 70% from the field, hitting three of his four 3-pointers against Atlanta. And now he’s gone.
What’s Next For This “Cursed” Season?
This Banchero injury might just seal the fate of the Magic’s season before it even truly begins. Sounds premature when it’s only two games in, but they’re already 0-2, and losing your best scorer for up to six weeks when you’re trying to establish yourself as a contender? That’s a deep hole.
It’s all the more frustrating because we’ve seen glimpses of what this team can be. Orlando’s defense is legit, having put the No. 1-seed Pistons in a straitjacket for much of their first-round series last year. They even had Detroit down 3-1 until Wagner, of course, missed the last three games with a calf strain, and the Pistons rallied. Banchero and Wagner, both 6-foot-10, can handle the ball and initiate offense, creating all sorts of inverted mismatches. When Banchero is cooking, he’s as lethal a scorer as anyone in the league.
There have been questions about Banchero and Wagner’s long-term fit because of their shooting inconsistencies, but how are we supposed to even evaluate that when they can’t stay on the court together? The basketball gods just won’t let this experiment get off the ground for any real length of time. The pieces are there, the talent is undeniable, but with Banchero out, this team is going to have to dig deep just to stay afloat.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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