Franz Wagner has dealt with a nagging ankle injury for a chunck of the season and he still remains out for the foreseeable future.
We'll take a look at where he's at in his rehab progress and when the Orlando Magic star could potentially return to play.
Wagner originally suffered a high ankle sprain against the New York Knicks on Dec. 8, and was held out until the Jan. 15 NBA Berlin Game against the Memphis Grizzlies in his hometown.
At the time of the injury, Magic staff hoped that the forward could return before the turn of the new year, but his rehab process took a little longer than expected.
Wagner looked comfortable in his first game back in mid-January, putting up 18 points and nine rebounds in 27 minutes in a Magic victory.
He went on to play in the next game, Jan. 18, where he played in 26 minutes and scored 14 points. However, he hasn't played since - missing four consecutive games.
"He came up really, really, really, sore after shootaround, and we've got to obviously look at the long-term view for how we're dealing without our guys," head coach Jamahl Mosley said last week, per Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel.
Beede also reported that Wagner's injury isn't a new one - it's lingering soreness from his previous high ankle sprain stemming from Dec. 8.
When could Franz Wagner Return to Play?
Wagner has been lightly practicing without contact this week, but it could still be a while until he takes the court.
He'll miss his fifth straight game, and 20th overall, on Friday night, and the Magic seem to be taking a very cautious approach with their young star.
Considering that he hasn't practiced with contact since Jan. 18, it can be safe to assume that he'll return after the Feb. 12 - Feb. 18 All-Star break for Orlando.
The Magic, 24-22. sit in a comfortable position to make the play-in in a weak Eastern Conference, and with Anthony Black playing at a high level, there's no rush to bring Wagner back.
Expect Wagner to certainly return before the playoffs, with March seeming like a good month to reinsert him into the lineup and get the chemistry back before the postseason.
