Magic fans only had one question heading into Thursday’s game between Orlando and Memphis in Berlin at Uber Arena.
Will Franz Wagner play?
The Magic shared their answer Wednesday morning when the team submitted its initial injury report for Thursday’s contest and Wagner wasn’t listed on it.
After missing the last 16 games due to a left high ankle sprain, Wagner will be available to play in his home country of Germany for coach Jamahl Mosley and alongside his older brother Moe Wagner against the Grizzlies.
Magic guard Jalen Suggs (right knee MCL bruise) and two-way forward Colin Castleton (left thumb fracture) remain out. For Suggs, Thursday’s game marks his sixth straight missed with the right knee injury.
Speaking after Tuesday’s practice in Berlin, Franz Wagner was hopeful about his chances of making his way back to the court. He last played Dec. 7 at New York, the night he appeared to suffer a serious left leg injury.
Wagner, however, avoided the worst when an MRI revealed the next day he was only dealing with a high ankle sprain.
“I feel good,” Wagner said Tuesday afternoon. “It felt good to move a little bit after the long flight. And I’m excited for Thursday.”
The Magic forward averaged 22.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.17 steals in 33.4 minutes per night the first 24 games of the season. In that span, he scored in double figures 23 times, 20-plus points 18 times and 30-plus points twice.
Without him, Orlando (22-18) went 8-8 in 16 contests. The team has alternated between wins and losses for 13 games straight.
The return is timely not only because Wagner will be able to play on the very court he spent his childhood training in Berlin, but he’ll also be able to play alongside his older brother for the first time in more than a year.
Although Moe Wagner last played Dec. 21, 2024 before making his return last Sunday at Kia Center, Franz Wagner had been out at the time with a right abdominal muscle injury that forced him to miss 20 games during the 2024-25 campaign.
Now, Franz and Moe Wagner are poised to share the court for the first time since Dec. 6, 2024 on Thursday in Berlin — a memory that will likely last a lifetime for the German brothers.
“We’re here driving through the city, we’re seeing our friends (and) we’re combining our two worlds together,” Moe Wagner said Tuesday. “That means the world to us. So, that’s the main thing for me.”
Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com
Up next …
Magic vs. Grizzlies
When: 2 p.m., Thursday, Uber Arena (Berlin, Germany)
TV: FanDuel Sports Network Florida/Amazon Prime Video