The Orlando Magic are set to get another star back on the court.
Franz Wagner will make his return to Orlando's lineup as the team hosts the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night, the Magic announced.
Wagner has been out since Dec. 6 with a torn oblique, suffering the injury shortly after teammate Paolo Banchero went down with the same diagnosis.
Thursday will be just the sixth time this season the pair will share the court this season. Banchero missed 34 games before making his return on Jan. 10.
“I think it’s gigantic,” Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley said. “We talk about the pieces coming back together, us being whole again, slowly but surely. ... With all the standards he has set as a leader, having him back is going to be big.”
The 23-year-old was hurt in a loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. He started each of Orlando's first 25 games this season and was a huge reason why it started 16-9.
Over that span, Wagner averaged 24.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game while shooting 46.5 per cent from the floor and 32.1 per cent from three.
In his absence, the Magic went just 7-13 and have lost four straight and six of their last seven.
Orlando enters Thursday's contest with a 23-22 record, good for eighth place in the Eastern Conference.
-- with files from the Associated Press
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