Orlando Magic star Paolo Banchero will be out indefinitely with a low-grade right ankle sprain, ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania first reported Saturday.
The team released a statement shortly thereafter.
"Banchero suffered the injury during the first half of last night’s game vs. Minnesota. He will undergo further testing and evaluation, and his status will be updated as appropriate," the release said.
— Orlando Magic PR (@Magic_PR) October 24, 2026INJURY UPDATE:@OrlandoMagic forward Paolo Banchero underwent an MRI, which has confirmed a low-grade right high ankle sprain.
Banchero suffered the injury during the first half of last night’s game vs. Minnesota. He will undergo further testing and evaluation, and his status…
Banchero, who turns 24-years-old in November, was limited to just 27 minutes in Friday's 115-93 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves after sustaining an ankle injury in the third quarter. Banchero eventually returned nearly four minutes later, but missed all four of his attempts before sitting the entire fourth quarter.
He finished with 14 points, six rebounds, five assists and one steal on 6-of-11 shooting and 2-of-4 from the charity stripe.
Orlando Magic star Paolo Banchero has sustained a low-grade right high ankle sprain, sources tell ESPN. This injury diagnosis typically carries a timetable of 4-to-6 weeks. pic.twitter.com/GQ5jXREXXd
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 24, 2026
Paolo Banchero could miss at least two months:
According to Charania, a low-grade ankle sprain could have a timetable for 4-to-6 weeks. There's currently no word if that will be Banchero's timetable for a return, but if it is, the earliest possible return won't be until around the Christmas or the New Year.
According to Orlando Sentinel's Jason Beede, Banchero tweaked his ankle during the first quarter of Friday's 22-point loss.
— Jason Beede (@therealBeede) October 24, 2026#Magic forward Paolo Banchero told @orlandosports last night he tweaked his right ankle to the inside during the 1st quarter.
“Most of all my ankle sprains have always been to the outside, so this is kind of foreign to me,” he said. “So a little scary in that way.”
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It goes without saying, but this is another significant blow for the Magic pertaining to one of their stars getting injured. Banchero was the biggest saving grace despite their 0-2 start. In the season opener versus the Atlanta Hawks, Banchero tallied 35 points on just 12 shots, adding seven rebounds, 10 assists and one steal in 41 minutes.
This means that there will be a bigger creation burden on Franz Wagner and Desmond Bane, who is off to a slow offensive start, making just seven of his 26 field goal tries (4-19 3PA). They will also need more from Tristan da Silva, the likely replacement in the starting lineup, as well as Jamal Cain.
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