Jalen Suggs, Wendell Carter Jr. Ruled Out for Magic vs. Charlotte; Gary Harris to Start

Jalen Suggs (left hamstring strain) and Wendell CarterJr. (left foot plantar fasciitis) were both ruled OUT after being listed questionable for the Orlando Magic Monday night vs. the Charlotte Hornets.

Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. (34) and Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs (4) talk in the third quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum. / Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

The Orlando Magic will be without three of their usual five starters for their matchup with the Charlotte Hornets Monday night.

Starting guard Jalen Suggs (left hamstring strain) and center Wendell Carter Jr. (left foot plantar fasciitis) were both ruled OUT under two hours before scheduled tipoff between Orlando and Charlotte. All-Star forward Paolo Banchero continues to be out.

Suggs left the Magic's Saturday night contest with what the team deemed a sore left hamstring. In Orlando's 111-100 win over the Detroit Pistons, he played just nine minutes before exiting the game in the second quarter. The Magic guard left the bench area for evaluation and was ruled doubtful to return.

For the season, he's the Magic's third-leading scorer – posting 14.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists a game.

Out of halftime, the fourth-year Gonzaga product returned to the bench area but not to game action. Anthony Black, the Magic's No. 6 pick in the 2023 draft out of Arkansas, started the second half for Orlando.

The decision for Suggs to miss the game is made more out of precaution than anything, Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said pregame in Charlotte.

"We'd just come off that West Coast trip and it triggered a little bit," Mosley said. "With that sore hamstring, we just want to be more precautious in this situation."

Carter Jr. is missing his 12th consecutive game with left foot plantar fasciitis, which stems back to Orlando's Nov. 3 game at Dallas. The Magic center started the contest after missing the game at Cleveland two days prior with right knee tendinitis, but left in the second quarter during the Magic's loss to the Mavericks. That's four games now where he has been listed as questionable prior to a downgrade to out.

Banchero will miss his 14th consecutive game after suffering a torn right oblique Oct. 30 at Chicago.

The Magic announced that Gary Harris will start in Suggs' place Monday night at Charlotte. Rookie wing Tristan da Silva will continue to start on the wing next to Franz Wagner in place of Paolo Banchero. Goga Bitadze remains in the first five for Carter Jr.

Mosley explained the possible advantages he sees with the starting backcourt of Gary Harris and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

"I just think their ability to defend," Mosley said. "They both can crawl into the ball [and] navigate the pick-and-roll. Then, spacing the floor, being able to sit down and knock down shots [and] allow Franz to get downhill to create different opportunities [by] being able to space the floor the right way.”

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