Orlando will be operating without superstar Paolo Banchero for a few weeks.
reported Thursday night that Banchero was diagnosed with a torn right oblique. The 21-year-old will be sidelined indefinitely and will be re-evaluated in four to six weeks.
Banchero was off to a hot start to the 2024-25 season, playing in all of the Magic's first five games and logging 29.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists in 36.4 minutes per contest. He played 37 minutes and scored 31 points on 12-of-22 shooting in Orlando's 102–99 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night and was listed as questionable for the Magic's clash against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Banchero returning in four weeks would mean he'd miss Orlando's next 15 games. If he's out for six weeks, that'd mark his return around Dec. 12 and miss at least 21 games while on the mend. The Magic are set to square off against the Cavaliers at 4 p.m. ET Friday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.Tom Dierberger is a staff writer and editor on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in November 2023 after stints at FOX Sports, Bally Sports and NBC Sports. Dierberger has a bachelor's in communication from St. John's University. In his spare time, he can be seen throwing out his arm while playing fetch with his dog, Walter B. Boy.
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