Orlando

Magic

Wagner tore the ACL in his left knee just before Christmas, robbing the Magic of a player who was among the most productive reserves in the NBA at that time. Boasting an 18-12 record at the time of his injury, the Magic finished the regular season 41-41 and were eliminated by two-seed Boston in the first round of the playoffs. While Wagner did not provide specifics regarding his recovery process, he aims to be cleared in time for the start of next season. “That’s part of the rehab — you go day-by-day, you figure it out, but, of course, that’s what I’m working toward,” Wagner told the Orlando Sentinel when asked about his availability for the beginning of the 2025-26 season. “I’m pretty positive-minded toward that.” Wagner has a team option for next season and has expressed a desire to return to Orlando. Fantasy-wise, he’s been most impactful as a streamer when the Magic were without starting center Wendell Carter Jr.

Carter reached double digits in rebounds in four of the five games, recording two double-doubles. While he certainly wasn’t elite, the Magic center had a decent finish to his fourth full season with the franchise. Appearing in 68 regular-season games, Carter’s scoring output decreased, but he was more productive in rebounds, assists, steals and blocked shots. Unfortunately, the starting role has not made WCJ a significant fantasy asset, as he finished the season ranked outside the top-175 in category leagues and outside the top-150 in points leagues. With three guaranteed seasons remaining on his contract, Carter will likely go into training camp locked into the starting center role.

Caldwell-Pope had a brutal series, scoring no more than eight points in any of the five games. The veteran wing shot 6-of-23 from beyond the arc, which isn’t good enough for a team that lacked consistent scorers beyond Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. Signed last summer with the hope that he could be a veteran voice who could also provide 3-and-D value, Caldwell-Pope underwhelmed in his first season with the Magic. He finished the regular season ranked outside the top-150 in eight- and nine-cat formats in category leagues, but KCP was close to a top-100 option in points leagues. At best, he’ll be worthy of late-round consideration in 12-team leagues next fall.

Wagner finished his fourth NBA season with a solid performance in Orlando’s season finale. He scored at least 23 points and made at least 10 field goals in all five games. While teammate Paolo Banchero’s value in points leagues took a significant hit since he only appeared in 46 games, Wagner retained some of his value by appearing in 60. Regarding category leagues, Franz was a top-40 player in eight- and nine-cat formats. He exceeded his Yahoo! ADP (46), and stands to be a safe third- or fourth-round pick next fall. Wagner’s new contract kicks in next season, and he’ll earn nearly $38.7 million in 2025-26.

Having scored at least 29 points in each of the first four games of this series, Banchero appeared to be a safe bet to have another good night with Orlando’s season on the line. Unfortunately, that is not how things played out. With 9:46 remaining in the third quarter and the game tied at 53, Banchero was called for his fifth foul. Magic coach Jamahl Mosley removed his star forward from the game, and Boston took over with a 35-9 run. To say this was a disappointing end to a highly productive season for Banchero would be an understatement. He did not reach his Yahoo! ADP (35) in category or points leagues, but the Magic forward’s issues in fantasy basketball had more to do with him only playing 46 games than any statistical deficiencies. Banchero will be worth grabbing within the first 50 picks in drafts next fall, especially in points leagues.

Joseph provided value to Orlando’s starting lineup, logging 27 minutes and tallying his highest points and assists totals of the series. On the heels of the veteran guard’s most productive game of the postseason, it’s reasonable to expect Joseph will play a similar role for his team on Tuesday. The Magic will look to stay alive as they face the Celtics in Boston for Game 5.

Wagner reached at least 20 points for the fourth time in as many games in Orlando’s opening-round series against Boston. He recorded multiple three-point makes for a second-straight game and led the Magic in assists along the way. The Magic could use another productive outing from Wagner in Tuesday’s Game 5 as they look to collect a second win and extend the series.

Despite struggling with his shooting efficiency, Banchero put forth another high-scoring performance, topping 30 points for the third time in four postseason games against Boston. The former No. 1 pick of the 2022 NBA Draft remained active on the glass and continued to make a living at the charity stripe in the process. Orlando will hope for another well-rounded effort from Banchero in Wednesday’s Game 5 in Boston as the Magic look to avoid elimination.

Carter Jr.'s 10 points may not seem like much, but he was the only Magic player in double figures outside of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. The 26-year-old center also added 12 rebounds to earn himself a double-double. He’ll continue to be a crucial piece of the Magic’s supporting cast as they look to even the series in Game 4 Sunday.

Wagner was hardly efficient with 32 points on 27 shots in Game 3, but with neither team reaching 100 points his point total was plenty. Wagner was one of only three Magic players in double figures in Game 3. He’ll have to continue scoring at a high level if the Magic are going to have a chance to even the series against the Celtics Sunday.