DETROIT — Orlando Magic players do not expect Franz Wagner to play in Wednesday’s Game 5 against the Detroit Pistons, and one of the Magic’s star players is saying that it would not be smart to risk aggravating Wagner’s right-calf strain and potentially have it morph into a much more serious injury.

“I don’t think we’re expecting Franz to play,” Magic forward Paolo Banchero said after the Magic completed their shootaround Wednesday morning at Little Caesars Arena.

“A calf strain, you don’t want to mess around with that. So I don’t think that’d be very smart. But we’ve just got to come out (and have a mentality of) next man up. You know, we’ve had some guys come off the bench, play well, defend at a high level. So those guys have just got to step up and be ready to go.

“Obviously, we want Franz to be healthy. That’s the most important thing. But I’m confident that we’ve got guys that can step up.”

While Wagner did attend the Magic’s shootaround, a Magic official said Wagner did not participate. As of noon Wednesday, Wagner was still listed as “questionable” to play on the Magic’s official injury report.

The Magic lead the Pistons 3-1 in the first-round series, but the broader subtext behind Banchero’s comments revolves less around the series and more around injuries to star NBA players during recent playoff cycles.

Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton was diagnosed with a calf strain after Game 5 of the 2025 NBA Finals. He returned in the following game of the finals after passing a medical test on his calf but then suffered an Achilles tendon tear in Game 7. Haliburton’s Achilles injury required surgery and forced him to miss the entire 2025-26 season.

During the 2019 postseason, Kevin Durant suffered a calf strain while playing for the Golden State Warriors. Approximately one month later, Durant suffered an Achilles tear during Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors. Durant missed the entire 2019-20 season.

In last year’s playoffs, Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics and Damian Lillard, then with the Milwaukee Bucks, suffered Achilles tendon tears.

Losing Wagner, a 6-foot-10 wing/forward, for any length of time in the playoffs would be a significant blow to Orlando. The Magic went 20-14 in the games that he played during the regular season, but just 25-23 in the 48 games he missed because of a left high-ankle sprain.

Magic shooting guard Desmond Bane was asked after Wednesday’s shootaround about how Wagner’s absence would impact the team.

“We’ve been without him for 50 games,” Bane said. “So I mean, we’ve had chemistry and camaraderie built up with him playing or not playing. So I expect us to still come out and be the more physical team and more aggressive team.”

Franz Wagner plays a critical two-way role for the Magic. (Mike Watters / Imagn Images)

In the first four games of the series against the Pistons, Wagner had the primary responsibility of guarding Pistons point guard Cade Cunningham. Wagner had appeared to regain the rhythm he had lost during the regular season due to the high-ankle sprain, and Wagner made two critical shots late in Orlando’s Game 3 victory at the Kia Center.

Wagner suffered his injury during the third quarter of Game 4. The Magic won that game 94-88, in large part because Jamal Cain, who replaced Wagner in the rotation, performed well on both ends.

Cain, Anthony Black, and Tristan da Silva will likely have increased roles in any absence by Wagner.

“Obviously, he’s one of our best players,” Banchero said of Wagner. “So you’re not going to make up for everything you’re losing with him out. But we got guys that can fill that role and other guys that can step up as well.”