Heartbreaking Franz Wagner injury puts magical Magic season on ice indefinitely

The Orlando Magic are 16-9, which places third in the wide-open Eastern Conference. Aside from Boston and Cleveland, the East has felt abnormally devoid of real contenders this season. That has just put the spotlight on Orlando's ascent, which feels entirely real. The Magic aren't in third place because of luck or happenstance. That is legitimately the third-best team in the East right now.

So, that makes Saturday's injury announcement all the more crushing. Franz Wagner is expected to miss at least four weeks with a torn right oblique, per ESPN's Shams Charania.

The "indefinitely" label always sucks. Wagner has put together his best NBA season to date, averaging 24.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 5.7 assists on .465/.321/.881 splits. He has been one of the best players in the East, straight up. A 6-foot-10 slashing and playmaking threat who also supplies high-level defense, Wagner was integral to Orlando's surging success — especially with Paolo Banchero on the sideline.

Banchero, the former No. 1 pick, has missed the last month with a torn oblique of his own. The Magic are 13-7 since Banchero suffered the injury, which is a testament to Orlando's collective strength, but especially to Wagner. He has been a bonafide All-Star, carrying an outsized offensive burden without sacrificing efficiency or his two-way effort.

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Franz Wagner out indefinitely with torn right oblique in heartbreaking Magic twist

Wagner dropped 30 points, five rebounds, and five assists in 38 minutes against the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday. This is a truly tsunamic development for Orlando. There just isn't a clear avenue to replacing Wagner and his production on the roster.

The Magic should still field a competitive defense every night, but the offense is going to sag immensely without either Wagner or Banchero there to stimulate it.

Expect to see more of Anthony Black, Jett Howard, and rookie Tristan da Silva with Wagner on the sideline. I'd anticipate starting reps for either Howard or da Silva, although Black has the size of a wing and the ability to handle many of the same defensive assignments that Wagner does. His playmaking could come in handy with so much firepower tethered to the bench.

Orlando has built a nice cushion in the extremely weak East, so this isn't necessarily a death knell for their postseason chances. That said, the Magic are going to slip in the standings while other teams, such as the Bucks or Hawks, continue to rise. The Knicks are a half-game behind Orlando as of this writing. Expect New York to take over third place sooner than later.

Hopefully Wagner's return timeline is on the shorter end of the spectrum, although oblique injuries can be tricky. Banchero is expected to resume basketball activities around Christmas. He has already missed a little more than a month. So, Orlando is probably another month or so away from getting one star wing back, and Wagner might not join Banchero on the floor for a while after that. It's a brutal, heartbreaking turn of events.