The Orlando Magic’s starting center, Wendell Carter Jr., is considered day-to-day after suffering a sprained left ankle during Monday’s 106-104 preseason loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. According to the Orlando Sentinel’s Jason Beede, the injury occurred after Carter contested a jump shot from Pelicans center Daniel Theis, landing awkwardly and twisting his ankle on Theis' foot.

Carter immediately went to the ground, visibly in pain, and rolled over before being helped to his feet. He was later seen throwing his headband in frustration as he was led off the court and down the Magic’s tunnel toward the locker room, yelling an expletive in anger.

The update comes just one day after Wendell Carter Jr. and the Magic agreed to a three-year, $59 million contract extension, as reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania. The deal adds to the two years remaining on Carter’s current contract, which had him set to earn approximately $22.7 million through the 2025-26 season. With this extension, Carter’s total salary now rises to $82 million over the next five seasons.

The 25-year-old’s new contract reflects the maximum extension allowable under the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, ensuring that the Magic have their starting center under contract through his age-29 season.

Magic consider Wendell Carter Jr. day-to-day after injury scare against Pelicans

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Carter has been a crucial piece of the Magic's young core since arriving in Orlando as part of the 2021 trade that sent Nikola Vučević to the Chicago Bulls. However, injuries have plagued his career thus far. He appeared in only 55 games last season due to a variety of ailments and has missed at least 20 games in each of his six seasons in the NBA. Over the past three seasons, Carter has averaged 24 games missed per year.

Before this recent setback, Wendell Carter Jr. had emphasized staying healthy as a top priority heading into the 2024-25 campaign. His availability will be key to Orlando’s hopes of building on last season’s success, where they made a return to the playoffs.

The timing of Carter's return will depend on how he responds to treatment, according to Beede. While the day-to-day designation offers some optimism, the Magic are expected to proceed cautiously to ensure that their starting center is fully healthy before returning to the court.