Moe Wagner is back.

After more than a year spent rehabbing a torn ACL in his left knee, the Magic center was upgraded to available for Sunday’s game against the Pelicans at Kia Center.

Wagner, a 6-foot-11 center who is the older brother of Orlando star Franz Wagner, last played Dec. 21, 2024. That night, he exited within 90 seconds of stepping onto the court against Miami when it became clear something was wrong after he fell to the floor.

An MRI then confirmed Wagner tore the ACL in his left knee and he underwent successful surgery on Jan. 8, 2025.

The return of Wagner couldn’t come at a better time for Jamahl Mosley‘s squad that is working to remain afloat as injuries to Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs and other key players have piled up. After Friday’s 12-point loss to Philadelphia, Orlando had alternated between wins and losses the last 12 games.

Prior to his left knee injury, Moe Wagner was in the middle of a career-year averaging personal-bests of 12.9 points on 36% shooting from beyond the arc with 4.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists per night in 30 games while making a run for NBA Sixth Man of the Year.

At the time of his injury, he ranked second in the NBA in points scored off the bench (372) and 15th in field goal percentage.

During the 203-24 season when Wagner played a career-high 80 games, Orlando’s reserves averaged 41.5 points per game, the fourth-most in the league. This season, Orlando’s reserves average 32.2 points per night, a mark that ranked 25th league-wide entering Saturday, according to NBA.com.

Of course, Wagner’s impact goes well beyond the box score, too.

He’s the type of player teams want on their squad but get irritated to face due to his electric reactions and bullish play style. Wagner was never afraid to show how he felt and would often say he was at his best when he wore his emotions on his chest.

“He’s one you know you can rely on,” Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. told the Orlando Sentinel on Friday night. “Not necessarily just scoring, but his energy. He comes in with great energy, always smiling, lifting up his teammates and of course, physically.

“At one point, he was one of the best guys off the bench in the whole entire league,” Carter added. “That’s a guy who you want on your team.”

It’s why Orlando signed him to a one-year, $5 million contract over the summer even though he only played 30 games last season and would likely miss a portion of this year as he continued to rehab.

And his recovery has been long and, at times, challenging.

Only recently did Wagner rediscover the happiness of competing in the sport he loves.

“I’m doing really good,” he said last month at a holiday event with his brother about his recovery. “I’m feeling really good about where I’m at, finding the joy again of playing basketball and enjoying the process a little more.”

While he won’t be able to solve all of Orlando’s problems — the team will still miss Franz Wagner and Suggs on both ends of the court — the Magic understand what his return could mean for the group at almost the halfway mark of the season.

“He’s going to fight for you and he’s going to play as hard as he probably can,” Carter said about his teammate. “Not saying the guy’s on this team aren’t doing that, but we’re at Game 40. Guys are banged up, guys are tired.

“Adding a guy like that to the fold is only going to boost us even more.”

Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com