Orlando Magic big man Wendell Carter Jr. appeared to suffer a lower left-leg injury on Monday afternoon in the team's preseason opener against the New Orleans Pelicans. After contesting a midrange jump shot from Pelicans new addition Daniel Theis, Carter came down awkwardly and appeared to twist his ankle on the Pelicans big man's foot.

Carter went down to the ground in obvious pain and rolled over to his back before being helped to his feet and off the court. After throwing his headband in frustration, Carter was led down the Magic's tunnel towards the locker room before yelling an explicit word in anger.

The Magic said shortly after that Carter suffered a sprained left ankle and would not return to Monday's contest.

After playing in only 55 games last season due to various injuries, Carter made it his goal to remain healthy and available for the Magic heading into the 2024-25 season.

Unfortunately, he is already off to a bad start after having to leave Monday's preseason opener against the Pelicans. It is worth noting that Carter underwent hand surgery once the team was eliminated from the playoffs.

In a total of 196 regular-season games with Orlando since joining the organization during the 2020-21 season, Carter has averaged 13.6 points and 8.8 rebounds per game while shooting 52.2 percent from the floor. Although numerous teams have inquired about his trade availability through the years, the Magic have been unwilling to deal the former seventh-overall pick.

Despite his scoring and productivity taking a hit last season due to injuries, Carter still managed to shoot 37.4 percent from three-point range, showcasing his versatility on the offensive side of the basketball.

The 2023-24 season proved to be one of the best years the Magic have had in quite some time. This franchise won 47 games and came within one win of advancing to the Eastern Conference Semifinals for the first time since 2010 when Dwight Howard took the Magic to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Next to Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, Carter is an instrumental part of the Magic's success. Should Carter be forced to miss time on the court due to this injury he suffered on Monday, Orlando will lean on Goga Bitadze and Moritz Wagner, two players who stepped up when Carter was dealing with injuries last season.