Franz Wagner Returns as Magic Finally Field Full Squad Ahead of Bucks Clash
For the first time in 467 days, the Orlando Magic are finally whole. And right on cue, Franz Wagner is back.
The versatile forward was cleared to play Monday night against the Milwaukee Bucks at Kia Center after missing nine straight games while managing a high left ankle sprain. It’s the same injury that sidelined him for over a month earlier this season - 16 games in total between Dec. 9 and Jan. 11 - after he originally went down on Dec. 7 in New York.
Wagner made a brief return last month, logging 27 minutes in his home country of Germany against the Grizzlies on Jan. 15, then 26 more in London three days later. But the overseas swing took a toll. Once he got back stateside, the soreness didn’t subside, and the Magic made the call to shut him down again, opting for caution over risk.
Now, he’s back - but with limits.
“He’ll be on a strict minutes restriction,” head coach Jamahl Mosley said during Monday’s shootaround at the AdventHealth Training Center. “Very strict.”
And that’s understandable. Wagner is too important to the Magic’s long-term plans to rush back at full throttle.
He’s been a two-way force when healthy this season, averaging 22.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.1 steals across 26 games. His presence has a noticeable impact - Orlando entered Monday’s game with a 15-11 record when he plays, compared to 12-13 without him.
Just ask Jalen Suggs.
“I mean, he’s an All-Star, to be honest, when he’s healthy,” Suggs said. “Having him back is huge.
The gravity he pulls on offense, the way he’s been guarding defensively… just having that back as a part of our unit makes a big difference. And for us, it’s just really big mentally.”
Suggs also pointed to the psychological lift of having everyone available again - something the Magic haven’t experienced since October 30, 2024, in a game at Chicago. Since then, it’s been a revolving door of injuries to key players like Suggs, Paolo Banchero, and both Wagner brothers. The lack of continuity has made it tough to build rhythm or chemistry.
“Knowing that we have the full group now, nobody’s out, we get to slowly work our way back to a full unit and getting that chemistry and rhythm down,” Suggs added. “We’re excited to have him back and I’m happy for him. I know he was really itching to get back.”
For Mosley, it’s a rare luxury to glance at the roster and see no one on the injury report.
“It’s great to be able to look at that roster and say that we’ve got everybody available,” he said. “That’s a beautiful thing.”
Still, the challenge now shifts to managing minutes and finding the right combinations - especially with Wagner on a tight leash in terms of playing time. But Mosley made it clear: the team’s identity starts on the defensive end, and that’s where the focus remains.
“It’s going to be a process to figure out exactly how we get those pieces in line with the minutes restriction and what combinations work,” Mosley said. “But that’s why we want to continue to stick to the things that we do. And it’s first and foremost on that defensive end, how we want to do it and keep creating that identity for ourselves there.”
The timing couldn’t be better. The Magic face the Bucks again on Wednesday - their final game before the All-Star break. With Wagner back and the roster finally intact, Orlando has a chance to hit the reset button and build momentum heading into the second half of the season.
Up Next: Magic vs. Bucks - Round Two, Wednesday Night.