NBA
Orlando’s Paolo Banchero (groin strain) is out Friday vs. the Nets, but is considered ‘day-to-day’
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated4 hours ago on November 14, 2025
On Wednesday night, the Magic were on the road to face the New York Knicks. In the second quarter, all-star PF Paolo Banchero suffered a groin strain. The 23-year-old did not return to the game.
However, Orlando did walk away with an impressive 124-107 win vs. New York. The team is now 6-6 this season, heading into their matchup on Friday night. NBA insiders have announced that Paolo Banchero will not be available when the Magic face the Nets. Banchero is still dealing with a groin strain. Brooklyn is 1-10 this season, and it should be an easy win for Orlando on Friday with Paolo Banchero.
The Orlando Magic will not have the services of Paolo Banchero on Friday
An MRI today on Orlando Magic star Paolo Banchero confirmed a left groin strain, and he will miss Friday’s game against the Brooklyn Nets and be evaluated daily moving forward, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/ki3xRndOUw
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 13, 2025
NBA insider Shama Charania reported on Thursday that Magic PF Paolo Banchero suffered a groin strain vs. the Knicks. He noted that Banchero is listed as day-to-day for Orlando. Unfortunately, the team will be without the production of their all-star PF on Friday vs. the Nets. This will be Banchero’s first game missed of the 2025-26 season. Last year, he started just 46 games for the Magic due to a torn right oblique. He was forced to miss 34 consecutive games due to injury.
Orlando is hopeful that Paolo Banchero will not miss significant time. They listed him as “day-to-day” and not “week-to-week,” which is positive. The last thing the franchise wants is for its star player to miss multiple games. It’s smart for the Magic to keep Banchero out on Friday. The Magic are playing a much weaker opponent in the Brooklyn Nets.
An MRI conducted this afternoon confirmed that Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero suffered a left groin strain.
He sustained the injury in the first half of Wednesday night’s game at New York.
He will be out against Brooklyn on Friday night, will continue to be evaluated,… pic.twitter.com/E9ZvHK3fF9
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) November 13, 2025
In 12 starts this season, Paolo Banchero is averaging 21.7 points, 4.1 assists, and a career-high 8.7 rebounds. Early on, Banchero is struggling from beyond the arc. He’s knocking down three’s at a .250% clip through 12 games. For his career, Banchero averages .317% from beyond the arc. After the Magic’s win on Wednesday, Paolo Banchero gave the media a positive update on his injury.
Paolo used his oblique tear in 2024-25 as a reference point for his groin injury. Last season, Banchero said the tear was painful and that he was limited in his movements. The young PF felt some discomfort on Wednesday but stayed in the game for a few more possessions. When the discomfort didn’t go away, Banchero asked to come out of the game. An MRI confirmed he has a groin strain, and Banchero said the trainers said he wouldn’t have been able to stay in the game if he tore his groin. That’s a positive sign for Orlando. They’ll patiently wait for Paolo Banchero to return to the starting lineup.
