Banchero finished with 16 points (4-11 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 5-6 FT), one rebound and two assists over 24 minutes during Sunday's 106-100 loss to the Knicks.
After playing 20 minutes Friday in his return from a 10-game absence due to a groin issue, Banchero saw his workload tick up Sunday and he responded by being a little more productive on offense, with his three three-pointers tying his season high. Jalen Suggs (leg) and Franz Wagner (lower leg) both left Sunday's game early and didn't return, and depending on the severity of their injuries, the Magic may not be able to afford to bring Banchero along as slowly as they'd like. In the 11 games prior to suffering his injury Nov. 12, Banchero had averaged 23.3 points, 9.1 boards, 4.3 assists, 1.0 threes and 1.6 combined steals and blocks, numbers the team might need him to start producing again as soon as possible.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Scores nine points in return
Rotowire
Banchero (groin) amassed nine points (3-8 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 2-2 FT), six rebounds and two assists in 20 minutes during Friday's 106-105 victory over the Heat.
Banchero was a bit rusty in his first game back following a 10-game absence due to a left groin strain, but he hit some clutch shots down the stretch and finished with a plus-six differential in the win. He was limited to 20 minutes Friday, but Banchero should be cleared for more playing time Sunday in New York.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Will be limited Friday
Rotowire
Head coach Jamahl Mosley said Banchero (groin) will play on a minutes restriction in Friday's game against the Heat, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel reports.
Mosley did not specify how many minutes Banchero would be limited to following his 10-game absence due to a left groin strain, though the star forward will seemingly be eased back into action. Still, his return will likely mean fewer minutes for the likes of Tristan da Silva, Jett Howard and Noah Penda. In his first 11 regular-season appearances, Banchero averaged 23.3 points, 9.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.6 steals-plus-blocks in 34.7 minutes per contest.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Chance to return Friday
Rotowire
Banchero (groin) is questionable for Friday's game against the Heat, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel reports.
Banchero hasn't played since Nov. 12 and had been limited to non-contact work as of earlier this week, but it appears he's nearing a return to game action. Even if Banchero is cleared to play Friday, he'll likely face heavy restrictions. In his first 11 games this season, Banchero averaged 23.3 points, 9.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.6 steals-plus-blocks in 34.7 minutes.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Out again Wednesday
Rotowire
Banchero (groin) will not play Wednesday against the Spurs.
Banchero continues to be ruled out a day in advance of games and has yet to be cleared for contact. This will mark his 10th straight game on the shelf, and he remains without a timetable for a return. Coach Jamahl Mosley said Banchero is "still doing a lot of non-contact things" and they "continue to see and monitor how he responds to each treatment each day." It sounds like fantasy managers can treat Banchero as week-to-week until he ramps up activity during practice.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Won't play Friday
Rotowire
Banchero (groin) is listed as out for Friday's game against the Pistons.
Banchero will be sidelined for an eighth straight game. The Magic continue to rule him out a day in advance of games, suggesting he's still week-to-week.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Still sidelined by groin strain
Rotowire
Banchero (groin) is out for Tuesday's game against the 76ers.
The star forward remains without a timeline for a return from a groin strain. Banchero can be considered doubtful for Friday's tilt in Detroit. In the meantime, Tristan da Silva should continue to carry a significant boost in fantasy value.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Won't play Sunday
Rotowire
Banchero (groin) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Celtics, Yo9ugn reports.
Banchero is slated to miss a sixth consecutive game while working through a left groin strain. A timetable for his return hasn't been established, but his next opportunity to play is Tuesday against the 76ers. Tristan da Silva will likely remain in the Magic's starting lineup for as long as Banchero is sidelined.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: No timetable for return
Rotowire
Coach Jamahl Mosley said Thursday that Banchero (groin) is without a timetable to return, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel reports.
"They don't put timelines on it," Mosley said. "As he recovers from each session, we'll go from there." Banchero will be sidelined for a fourth straight game due to a left groin strain Thursday against the Clippers, and it doesn't sound like the Magic are expecting an imminent return.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Out again for Thursday
Rotowire
Banchero (groin) is listed as out for Thursday's game against the Clippers.
Banchero will be sidelined for a fourth straight game due to a left groin strain, and he continues to be ruled out a day in advance. Consider him doubtful for Saturday's game against the Knicks, as he's yet to return to full practice.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Out again Tuesday
Rotowire
Banchero (groin) won't play Tuesday against the Warriors.
Banchero will miss a third straight game, and the Magic ruling him out a day in advance suggests that he might be out a bit longer beyond Tuesday. He was active during Tuesday's shootaround, but he's still limited to light, non-contact work, so he can be considered doubtful until the team releases a more comprehensive update on his return-to-play status.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Another absence coming
Rotowire
Banchero (groin) will not play Sunday against the Rockets.
Banchero will be sidelined for a second straight game Sunday. His timetable is murky at best right now, but he's going to be evaluated daily. In the meantime, it looks like Tristan da Silva is going to see a spike in value after putting up 22 points and nine rebounds Friday against the Nets.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Set to undergo MRI
Rotowire
Banchero confirmed after Wednesday's game that he will undergo an MRI on his left groin, Fred Katz of The Athletic reports.
"I just slowed up, and I felt it right away," Banchero said. "And then, I did a couple more trips up and down, and then, it was still there. So I asked to come out because I didn't want to risk further injury." The Magic are officially calling his injury a strain for now, but the MRI will reveal the severity of the issue. If Banchero does end up missing time, Tristan da Silva would likely be the next man up for Orlando based on how he's stepped up thus far. Jonathan Isaac would likely be in the mix for more run as well.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Won't return Wednesday
Rotowire
Banchero (groin) won't return to Wednesday's game against the Knicks.
Banchero exited Wednesday's contest with 6:40 remaining in the second quarter due to a left groin strain and will finish with four points (1-4 FG, 2-2 FT), four rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block across 12 minutes. With the star forward sidelined, Tristan da Silva and Jonathan Isaac are candidates for increased minutes the rest of the way. Banchero's status will be worth monitoring ahead of Friday's game against the Nets.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Leads Orlando with 28 points
Rotowire
Banchero produced 28 points (10-18 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 6-10 FT), nine rebounds, three assists and one steal in 35 minutes during Monday's 115-112 victory over Portland.
Banchero tallied 28 points for a second straight matchup and took much better care of the basketball, as he committed only two turnovers after tallying six turnovers Sunday against Boston. The Duke product has been performing particularly well on the offensive end through the first few weeks of the 2025-26 campaign, pouring in 20 or more points in nine of his first 11 appearances, recording five double-doubles along the way.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Scores 28 in loss
Rotowire
Banchero logged 28 points (9-16 FG, 0-5 3Pt, 10-10 FT), six rebounds and four assists in 34 minutes during Sunday's 111-107 loss to the Celtics.
Banchero was able to produce offensively Sunday despite failing to connect on any of his five three-point attempts, racking up a game-high 28 points. One area Banchero struggled in was taking care of the ball, as he coughed up a season-high six turnovers while dishing out only four assists. Nonetheless, it was a solid bounce-back performance for Banchero, who totaled just 15 points in Friday's win over the Celtics after scoring at least 20 in each of his previous six contests.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Just misses triple-double in win
Rotowire
Banchero notched 20 points (8-12 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 2-6 FT), nine rebounds, nine assists and two steals in 33 minutes during Thursday's 123-107 victory over the Hornets.
Banchero didn't look for his shot much through the first half of action, instead playing the facilitator role on offense, and all nine of his dimes came during the first half. He started to look for his shot more over the second half, and while he was efficient from the floor, he still struggled at the line. Banchero is averaging a career-high 10.3 free-throw attempts per game this season, but he's converting only 71 percent of them, which has been a major drain on his fantasy value in category-based settings.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Double-doubles on Opening Night
Rotowire
Banchero finished with 24 points (7-17 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 9-12 FT), 11 rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block in 35 minutes during Wednesday's 125-121 win over the Heat.
Banchero ended the night tied for the team lead in scoring with Franz Wagner, doing a good chunk of his damage from the charity stripe. Banchero also paced the Magic on the boards and started the year on a high note by recording a double-double, a feat he accomplished 11 times in 46 regular-season appearances a year ago. Orlando will continue to lean heavily on Banchero's offensive production as the season progresses.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Sitting out Sunday
Rotowire
Banchero (rest) will not play in Sunday's preseason game against Miami, Cody Taylor of USA Todayreports.
Desmond Bane is also getting the night off for Orlando. Banchero has made two preseason appearances so far with averages of 10.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 18.5 minutes per game.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Leads all scorers in Game 1 loss
Rotowire
Banchero closed Sunday's 103-86 loss to the Celtics in Game 1 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs with 36 points (14-27 FG, 4-7 3Pt, 4-6 FT), 11 rebounds, four assists, one block and one steal across 42 minutes.
Banchero did everything he could to get the Magic over the line, leading all scorers in what was ultimately a losing effort. While both Banchero and Franz Wagner had strong performances, they received very little in the way of help. The remaining three starters combined for just 10 points, something they will need to rectify should they have any hope of ousting the Celtics.
