Franz Wagner is averaging a career-best 24.4 points over the first 25 games of the 2024-25 season.

Franz Wagner stepped up in countless ways for the Orlando Magic when All-Star forward Paolo Banchero tore his oblique.

And now, Wagner has the same injury.

Wagner has a torn right oblique in a crushing blow for a team that survived the loss of Banchero and will play in the Emirates NBA Cup quarterfinals — but now will be without their second-leading scorer for at least four weeks and likely longer.

Franz Wagner has been diagnosed with a torn right oblique.

Wagner will be out indefinitely and his return to play will depend on how he responds to treatment.

He will be re-evaluated in four weeks. pic.twitter.com/JvgxX3Uemu

— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) December 7, 2024

“Wagner will be out indefinitely and his return to play will depend on how he responds to treatment,” the Magic said Saturday in a statement announcing the injury. “He will be re-evaluated in four weeks.”

Wagner was hurt in Friday’s loss at Philadelphia. He started each of Orlando’s first 25 games this season, a huge reason why the team is off to a 16-9 start and advancing to the Knockout Rounds of the Emirates NBA Cup with a 3-1 record in Group Play action.

Orlando will face Milwaukee in the quarterfinals on Tuesday (7 ET, TNT).

Wagner, without question, has been Orlando’s best player in the 20 games the team has played since Banchero got hurt in late October, averaging 26.1 points, 6 rebounds and 6.3 assists in that span — leading the Magic to a 13-7 record in those contests, 13-3 in their last 16 games.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.