How Injuries to Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner Shattered Orlando Magic’s 2024-2025 Fantasy Hopes—and What’s Next
As the intensity of the NBA Playoffs grips fans nationwide, it’s the perfect moment to pause and dissect the fantasy basketball season’s twists and turns across all 30 franchises. Over the coming weeks, I’ll be taking you on a journey—unpacking each team’s story from the floor’s least successful to the crowned champion this June.
Today, the spotlight falls on the Orlando Magic, a squad that battled through a gauntlet of injuries yet still managed to sneak into the postseason. Their season might not have dazzled the box score gods, but underneath it all, there’s a palpable sense of promise—anchored by burgeoning talents Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. Despite racking up a middling 41-41 record and bowing out in the first round, Orlando’s young core is brimming with untapped potential, waiting for the right moment—and the right moves—to spring into full bloom.
But the question looms large: With raw pieces scattered across the roster, and a handful of draft picks in hand, will the Magic take a gamble, doubling down to swiftly build contender-ready depth? Or will patience dictate the off-season narrative, hoping that a healthier run could catalyze their ascent? This deep dive explores those storylines and more, weaving through fantasy standouts, surprise revelations, and the baffling disappointments that shaped the Magic’s 2024-25 campaign.
Orlando Magic 2024-25 Season RecapJonathan IsaacWagner was at his best when Paolo Banchero was sidelined, but he still had a strong year overall. He averaged 24.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.7 triples per game across his 60 appearances. He shot below 30 percent on three-pointers (29.5) for the second straight season, but the rest of his production was great.
Wagner was at his best when Paolo Banchero was sidelined, but he still had a strong year overall. He averaged 24.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.7 triples per game across his 60 appearances. He shot below 30 percent on three-pointers (29.5) for the second straight season, but the rest of his production was great.
Wagner was at his best when Paolo Banchero was sidelined, but he still had a strong year overall. He averaged 24.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.7 triples per game across his 60 appearances. He shot below 30 percent on three-pointers (29.5) for the second straight season, but the rest of his production was great.
Wagner was at his best when Paolo Banchero was sidelined, but he still had a strong year overall. He averaged 24.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.7 triples per game across his 60 appearances. He shot below 30 percent on three-pointers (29.5) for the second straight season, but the rest of his production was great.
Wagner was at his best when Paolo Banchero was sidelined, but he still had a strong year overall. He averaged 24.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.7 triples per game across his 60 appearances. He shot below 30 percent on three-pointers (29.5) for the second straight season, but the rest of his production was great.
Wagner was at his best when Paolo Banchero was sidelined, but he still had a strong year overall. He averaged 24.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.7 triples per game across his 60 appearances. He shot below 30 percent on three-pointers (29.5) for the second straight season, but the rest of his production was great.
Wagner was at his best when Paolo Banchero was sidelined, but he still had a strong year overall. He averaged 24.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.7 triples per game across his 60 appearances. He shot below 30 percent on three-pointers (29.5) for the second straight season, but the rest of his production was great.
Wagner was at his best when Paolo Banchero was sidelined, but he still had a strong year overall. He averaged 24.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.7 triples per game across his 60 appearances. He shot below 30 percent on three-pointers (29.5) for the second straight season, but the rest of his production was great.
After two seasons in Denver, KCP returned to the East to provide Orlando with a three-and-D veteran guard. He averaged 8.7 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.5 triples per game in his first year with the Magic. KCP has been a reliable source of both threes and steals throughout his career, and while he was still able to provide some value this year, his numbers did take a hit from his two years with the Nuggets. The 32-year-old will continue to be a strong veteran presence and a two-way contributor, but he’s going to have to bounce back next year to be worth rostering in standard leagues. He shot 46.2 percent and 46 percent from the floor during his two years in Denver, but he shot 42.6 percent this past season, which was his worst mark since the 2017-18 season.Anthony saw his role decrease for a third straight season, and this ended up being the worst year of his career. He averaged 9.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.1 threes in just 18.4 minutes per game. Anthony is one of the longest-tenured Magic players, and he should continue to play a reserve role for them. Having a player that can provide instant offense is still valuable. However, he ranked just inside the top 300 in nine-cat leagues. He may hold streaming value at times next season, but he shouldn’t be on your draft radar.AdvertisementAt a glance, Bitadze’s numbers don’t look great. He averaged 7.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.4 blocks in 20.4 minutes per game. However, there was a long stretch from November to January where he was considered a must-roster player and provided excellent value in nine-cat leagues.Team Option: Moritz Wagner, Gary Harris, Cory Joseph, Caleb HoustanThe 2022 No. 1 overall pick was limited to just 46 games last season, but he still stuffed the stat sheet. He averaged 25.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.9 triples per game, though he once again didn’t contribute much value in other categories.Advertisement
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