The Orlando Magic could receive a key boost Wednesday night as forward Franz Wagner has been upgraded to questionable ahead of their matchup against the Atlanta Hawks.
Orlando (40-35) is set to host Atlanta (43-33) at 7:00 p.m. ET, with Wagner’s status emerging as a central storyline. The 24-year-old has been sidelined since Feb. 11 due to a high left ankle sprain, missing 22 consecutive games.
ClutchPoints NBA insider Brett Siegel reported the update Wednesday afternoon.
“Franz Wagner has been upgraded to questionable for tonight's Magic-Hawks game.
Wagner has not played since Feb. 11 due to ongoing problems with his high left ankle sprain.”
Siegel later added further context regarding Wagner’s availability.
“Wagner will go through pre-game warmups before the Magic determine if he will make his return to the floor tonight in limited minutes.
As of right now, everything points in the direction of the Magic forward returning tonight for a key game against the Hawks.”
Franz Wagner’s potential return arrives at pivotal moment in Magic’s playoff push
Wagner’s last appearance came in a Feb. 11 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, a 116-108 defeat in which he recorded five points, three rebounds and two steals across 21 minutes while shooting 1-for-7 from the field and 1-for-5 from three-point range.
In his fifth NBA season, Wagner has averaged 21.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.1 steals per game. He is shooting 47.9% from the field and a career-high 36.5% from beyond the arc across 28 games, including 26 starts, while logging 31.8 minutes per contest.
His potential return comes at a critical juncture for Orlando, which currently sits eighth in the Eastern Conference standings. The Magic trail the Hawks by 2.5 games for the fifth seed and remain two games behind the Toronto Raptors (42-33) for sixth place as they look to avoid the play-in tournament.
