We are quickly approaching the return of not only the Philadelphia 76ers but of NBA basketball in general after the week or so off for the All-Star break, so let’s catch up with what is making headlines around the league right now.

Franz Wagner out indefinitely for Magic

Things just got tougher for an already-stumbling Orlando Magic team. On Wednesday, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Franz Wagner would be sidelined indefinitely for lingering issues with a left high ankle sprain he suffered back in December.

Wagner, who is averaging 21.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists with 36.5% shooting from long range this season in 28 games, has missed 25 of the Magic’s last 29 contests due to the injury. Shams elaborated that the forward would be re-evaluated in three weeks, dashing any optimism for the Magic with Wagner having returned to play in the last two games for the squad before the All-Star break.

The Magic were 14-9 when Wagner sustained that injury back in December, and have since gone 14-16 with him very sparsely available. Even with Paolo Banchero consistently available minus a two week absence in late November, the squad has struggled this season, especially without Wagner in the lineup. Banchero’s stat lines don’t look terrible, but he has not been playing up to the star form he once did as he and the team overall struggle to find any sort of consistency.

Orlando is currently just a game and a half behind the Sixers in the Eastern Conference, sitting at No. 5 with a 28-25 record.

OG Anunoby returns to practice for Knicks, expects to play vs. Pistons on Thursday

After two weeks sidelined with a toenail issue, OG Anunoby has reportedly returned to practice for the New York Knicks and says he will play on Thursday against the Detroit Pistons.

The New York Post’s Stefan Bondy reported on social media on Wednesday that Anunoby had an entire toe nail removed, also known as a nail avulsion. He missed the Knicks’ last four games leading into the All-Star break due to the injury.

In 41 contests this season, Anunoby is averaging 16.6 points (shooting 37.0% from long range on 5.6 attempts), 5.5 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game. The Knicks are currently No. 3 in the East with a 35-20 record.

Kyrie Irving shut down for rest of Mavericks’ season

Kyrie Irving will not play this season for the Dallas Mavericks as he continues to heal from a torn ACL suffered early March 2025, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Irving has not played in a game since that injury nearly a year ago now. Before that, he was averaging 24.7 points (sinking 40.1% of triples attempted) in 50 games in the 2024-25 season for the Mavs, earning his ninth career All-Star nod. Of course, a vast majority of that was playing alongside Luka Doncic before he was traded to Los Angeles Lakers in early February 2025.

Even with rookie Cooper Flagg bringing some excitement to the franchise, this season is a bit of a wash for the Mavericks at this point anyway with the team sitting in 12th in the Western Conference at 19-35 on the year.

Shams added that Irving’s agent, Shetellia Riley Irving, told ESPN that shutting him down is about Kyrie “being 1000% when he comes back and giving himself the best chance to chase a championship next season.”