Magic suffer big injury blow to star player

Paolo Banchero’s brilliant third season will have to be put on hold. Shams Charania of ESPN reported Thursday that the Orlando Magic star has suffered a torn oblique and will thus be out indefinitely. Charania adds that Banchero will be re-evaluated in four to six weeks, and that Banchero’s return will be based on how he responds to treatment.

That is a really rough break for the 21-year-old Banchero, who had been having an absolutely brilliant start to the 2024-25 season. After being drafted by Orlando with the No. 1 overall pick in 2022, Banchero was the NBA’s Rookie of the Year in 2023 and went on to make an All-Star team as a sophomore last season.



Banchero looked like he was taking another leap this season too, posting 29.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.

6 assists a game in the early going and also becoming the NBA’s first 50-point scorer of the season. Unfortunately though, the Magic will likely now be without their franchise player through at least December. Franz Wagner will almost certainly take over as the No.

1 scorer with Jonathan Isaac possibly entering the starting five in place of Banchero and some of Orlando’s big offseason acquisitions being asked to step up as well . This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission..