Magic's Paolo Banchero: Diagnosed with high-ankle sprain
Rotowire
Banchero is expected to be sidelined for the next four-to-six weeks due to a right high-ankle sprain, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.
Banchero left during Friday's loss against the Timberwolves due to an ankle injury, and follow-up tests have confirmed a high-ankle sprain for the fifth-year forward. With an extended absence expected, the Magic will have to rely more heavily on Franz Wagner and Desmond Bane offensively, and Tristan da Silva figures to be the top candidate to enter the Magic's starting lineup for as long as Banchero is sidelined.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Exits Friday's loss early
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Banchero didn't check back in during the fourth quarter of Friday's 115-93 loss to the Timberwolves after being deemed doubtful to return. He finished with 14 points (5-11 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 2-4 FT), six rebounds, five assists and one steal across 26 minutes.
Banchero exited to the locker room in the third quarter after tweaking his right ankle. He briefly returned to action in the third but didn't see the floor in the fourth due to ankle soreness. The star forward can be considered questionable for Sunday's game at New York until the Magic offer an update on his status.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Doubtful to return Friday
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Banchero is doubtful to return to Friday's game against the Timberwolves due to a sore right ankle, NBA reporter Marc Stein reports.
The Magic are currently down by 20-plus points with four minutes to go in the fourth quarter, so that may be impacting Orlando's decision to hold Banchero out of the remainder of the game. For now, Banchero should be considered questionable for Sunday's game in New York.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Returns to Friday's game
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Banchero (ankle) has checked back into Friday's game against the Timberwolves, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel reports.
Banchero tweaked his ankle coming down from a rebound, but after getting checked up in the locker room, he's been cleared to return. He's off to a hot start, scoring 14 points on eight shots in his first 23 minutes of play.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Goes to locker room Friday
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Banchero exited Friday's game against the Timberwolves and went to the locker room after appearing to have tweaked his ankle, Philip Rossman-Reich of OrlandoMagicDaily.com reports.
Banchero appeared to tweak his ankle when he and Jalen Suggs went crashing in for a rebound early in the third quarter, and the former departed straight to the locker room. Losing Banchero would be huge for Orlando, as he scored 14 points on 6-for-7 shooting before leaving. If he doesn't return, Tristan da Silva could be in line for a bigger role in the frontcourt.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Another 24-point effort
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Banchero finished with 24 points (5-11 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 13-16 FT), seven rebounds, four assists and one block in 26 minutes during Friday's 136-115 preseason win over Miami.
Banchero dropped 24 points for the second straight game, impressively getting to the line 16 times. As a high-volume scorer, Banchero's inefficiency has been a major talking point throughout his career. Nights like this give us a glimpse of what he can do when his shots are falling. However, managers are right to err on the side of caution when considering him in drafts. For those in category leagues, he should be looked at in the fifth round, at the earliest.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Drops 24 points in preseason win
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Banchero supplied 24 points (10-13 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 2-2 FT), eight rebounds, three assists and one steal across 28 minutes in Tuesday's 132-116 preseason win over Cleveland.
Banchero delivered a bounce-back performance Tuesday after shooting just 1-for-10 from the field in Sunday's loss to the Cavaliers. The star forward turned in an extremely efficient performance in Tuesday's rematch, finishing with a game-high 24 points. He was also productive on the glass, pacing all players in rebounds.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Another rough shooting night
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Banchero ended with 10 points (1-10 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 7-10 FT), seven rebounds, two assists and one block over 18 minutes in Sunday's 119-105 preseason loss to Cleveland.
Banchero had his second consecutive double-digit preseason scoring performance. However, he had trouble shooting the ball once again Sunday and has now shot a combined 3-for-17 from the field in his first two preseason appearances. Banchero is coming off a productive 2025-26 campaign, averaging 22.2 points, 5.2 assists and a career-high 8.4 rebounds over 34.8 minutes per contest. Even better, he appeared in 72 regular-season games after logging just 46 in 2024-25. New head coach Sean Sweeney spent time with Banchero over the summer and will reportedly give him the green light to go all out offensively in 2026-27, so there is reason to believe the 23-year-old could be named to the All-Star team for the second time in his career.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Posts strong line in 15 minutes
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Banchero supplied 11 points (2-7 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 7-10 FT), one rebound and five assists across 15 minutes in Wednesday's 122-118 preseason win over the Grizzlies.
Banchero struggled from the field but got to the line 10 times and repeatedly set up Wendell Carter and Desmond Bane while playing only two quarters. The offense ran primarily through Franz Wagner, with Banchero often working off the ball, a scheme that could ultimately help the Duke product's bottom line after logging a regression in his scoring average last season.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Draws praise from teammate
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Banchero drew praise from teammate Wendell Carter on Monday for the work he put in during the offseason, with Carter saying the star forward is "looking like young Paolo," Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel reports.
Carter described Banchero as "very springy" and "very bouncy" after seeing him work out this summer, an encouraging assessment of his conditioning and athleticism heading into training camp. Banchero also said Monday that new head coach Sean Sweeney made an immediate effort to build a relationship with him after being hired, including traveling to Seattle to spend time with the 23-year-old during the offseason.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Preparing for fifth campaign
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Banchero is gearing up for his fifth NBA season in 2026-27.
The Magic made no significant additions or subtractions to the team this offseason that would noticeably impact Banchero's outlook. That sets him up as one of the club's top playmakers along with Franz Wagner and Desmond Bane, but Banchero continues to carry concerns in category-based fantasy leagues for his high turnover rate and dodgy shooting efficiency. The star forward has averaged at least 22 points, six rebounds, four assists and nearly one steal in three consecutive years, but he's also averaged at least three turnovers during that time and has never shot at least 46 percent from the floor or 78 percent from the free-throw line in his career.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Poor shooting effort Friday
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Banchero finished with 17 points (4-20 FG, 0-9 3Pt, 9-12 FT), 10 rebounds, six assists and two steals across 41 minutes in Friday's 93-79 loss to Detroit in Game 6 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Banchero had 45 points and shot 54.5 percent from deep in Game 5 on Wednesday. However, it was a different story Friday night, with the 23-year-old failing to make any of his nine attempts from behind the three-point line while amassing only 17 points, his lowest-scoring performance of the playoffs thus far. With the series knotted up at three games each, both clubs will meet in Detroit on Sunday for Game 7. While Banchero should continue to be the preferred option offensively in that contest, he may need to remain more involved if Franz Wagner (calf) can't suit up.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Pours in 45 points in Game 5 loss
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Banchero registered 45 points (17-31 FG, 6-11 3Pt, 5-12 FT), nine rebounds, seven assists and two steals in 41 minutes during Wednesday's 116-109 loss to the Pistons in Game 5 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Banchero matched Cade Cunningham's 45 points, but it wasn't enough as the Magic now hold a 3-2 series lead. With 45 points on the night, Banchero now holds the second-highest scoring total in Orlando's postseason history. If Franz Wagner (calf) continues to miss time, it's clear that Banchero is going to have the greenest of lights.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Falls just short of triple-double
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Banchero finished with 25 points (6-17 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 11-14 FT), 12 rebounds, nine assists, three steals and two blocks across 38 minutes in Saturday's 113-105 win over Detroit in Game 3 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Banchero easily had his best showing of this series by falling one assist short of a triple-double. With Orlando now leading the series 2-1, the 23-year-old will look to keep his club on track when the Magic and Pistons meet again for Game 4 on Monday night.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Scores 18 in Game 2 loss
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Banchero closed with 18 points (7-17 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 4-8 FT), eight assists, six rebounds, one block and one steal in 34 minutes during Wednesday's 98-83 loss to Detroit in Game 2 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Banchero filled the stat sheet across the board, though it wasn't nearly enough in a double-digit Game 2 loss. With strong career postseason averages of 26.9 points, 8.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists on 44.9 percent shooting from the field and 41.1 percent from deep across 14 playoff games, the 23-year-old will need to deliver at a high level if Orlando hopes to pull off the series upset.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Scores game-high 25 points in win
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Banchero registered 25 points (9-17 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 5-8 FT), five rebounds, six assists, two steals and one block over 33 minutes during Friday's 121-90 Play-In Tournament win over the Hornets.
Banchero struggled with turnovers and his shot in Wednesday's Play-In Tournament loss to the 76ers, but he bounced back in a big way Friday, powering the Magic to a blowout win. He ended his evening with just two turnovers and was a plus-17 in the 31-point victory. The Magic will now head to Detroit for their first-round matchup with the Pistons.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Rough night Wednesday
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Banchero totaled 18 points (7-22 FG, 0-5 3Pt, 4-6 FT), five rebounds, four assists and one block across 36 minutes during Wednesday's 109-97 Play-In Game loss to the 76ers.
Banchero did more harm than good Wednesday, shooting under 33 percent from the floor for the second straight game, during which time he has also accumulated 12 turnovers. Wednesday's loss will see Orlando return home to host Charlotte for the right to play Detroit in the first round of the playoffs. If the Magic are to do any damage this postseason, Banchero is going to up his game on both ends of the floor.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Drops 31 points in victory
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Banchero tallied 31 points (10-16 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 10-10 FT), five rebounds, three assists and three steals in 38 minutes during Monday's 123-107 victory over the Pistons.
Banchero teamed up with Desmond Bane to provide 56 total points on the night, and both players shot the basketball with impressive efficiency. Banchero's 31-point outing was a reassuring sight for fantasy owners, considering he'd been held to 19 points or fewer in four of his previous five showings heading into Monday's showdown with Detroit.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Massive double-double in win
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Banchero provided 23 points (6-14 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 11-15 FT), 16 rebounds, six assists, one block and two steals across 38 minutes during Sunday's 112-108 victory over the Pelicans.
Banchero recorded his 25th double-double of the season in Sunday's win. The forward holds averages of 22.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 0.6 steals, 0.6 blocks and 1.2 three-pointers on 45.7 percent shooting from the field over his last 68 games.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Poor showing in blowout
Rotowire
Banchero provided nine points (3-14 FG, 0-5 3Pt, 3-4 FT), five rebounds and three assists over 30 minutes during Sunday's 139-87 loss to Toronto.
The Magic were run out of the building in this one, yet Banchero still logged 30 minutes -- no other starter reached that mark. This was just a small setback for Banchero, as he's averaging 25.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.6 three-pointers over his last eight games.
