Banchero out indefinitely with torn oblique

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Orlando Magic star Paolo Banchero has a torn right oblique, the team said Thursday night after he had further testing in Cleveland.
President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman said Banchero will be out indefinitely and be re-evaluated in four-to-six weeks.

How Banchero got hurt: Banchero was injured Wednesday night in the fourth quarter of Orlando’s victory at Chicago. He scored a career-high 50 points against Indiana on Monday night and is averaging 29 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game this season.
Banchero was the first overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft and was an All-Star last season. In his 50-point game, Banchero scored 37 first-half points, which tied a team record for points in a half set by Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady on March 9, 2003.
He followed that up with a 31-point showing in the Magic’s 102-99 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Oct. 30.
Impact on the Magic: Orlando is at Cleveland on Friday night. If Banchero were to be out four weeks, he’d likely return in time for Orlando’s five-game road trip through the Atlantic Division. After that trek, the Magic are home through Dec. 29 for their next seven games.
The Magic will likely seek greater contributions from swingman Franz Wagner (17.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 4.2 apg) and veteran big man Jonathan Isaac in Banchero’s absence. Banchero leads the Magic in usage rate (31.1%), but Mortiz Wagner (26.8%), Franz Wagner (25.7%) and Jalen Suggs (24.5%) are next in line and should all see a greater role as well.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.