Wendell Carter Jr. eyes quick return from preseason injury

Wendell Carter Jr. went up for a block, landed awkwardly on the foot of Daniel Theis and immediately grabbed his lower leg while shouting on his way down.

The Magic center was filled with a sense of pain and frustration when he sprained his left ankle during the third quarter of Monday’s preseason opener at New Orleans , a 106-104 loss .

But hours later, Carter was filled with immense joy.

He and the Magic agreed to a 3-year extension worth $59 million that is set to keep him with the franchise through the 2028-29 season.

“Just wanting to be here,” Carter said after practice Tuesday in San Antonio about what went into his decision to sign the extension. “I’m just super excited from where we’ve [come] since the three years I’ve been here to where we’re at now.

“The growth, the trust that they have in this young team … I just wanted to be a part of it,” he added.

Carter is entering the third of his current 4-year, $50 million contract with the Magic and was set to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2026.

Instead, Orlando locks in his long-term future with the franchise — something Carter told his agent, former Magic wing Mike Miller, he wanted to accomplish before Thursday’s deadline.

“I give a lot of credit to my agent for getting it done for me,” Carter said of Miller, who also represents 2022 No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero. “I told him I wanted to be here, wanted to be here long term, however long I can be. I told him just to make it happen and that’s what he did for me.

“I’m just glad Orlando and I could agree on something to keep me here [for] a long time,” he added.

Those around Carter are happy for him, too.

“He’s put in so much work,” coach Jamahl Mosley said. “It’s just a sign of the work that he has put in and just the trust and the faith we have in him, and his ability to do some great things for this team.”

Added reserve center Goga Bitadze: “We are all happy. He’s a great guy outside of basketball. We are really excited that he is going to be with us here.”

Magic solidify core with contract extension for Wendell Carter Jr.

Carter’s extension is the latest move from Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman that keeps Orlando’s roster intact.

The team, which is mostly the same from a season ago, won 47 games for the first time in more than a decade while returning to the playoffs following a four-year drought.

Carter’s extension follows the summer re-signing of Bitadze, backup center Moe Wagner, veteran guard Gary Harris and two-way guard Trevelin Queen. The Magic also finalized a maximum rookie contract extension with star Franz Wagner and was able to renegotiate and extend the contract of Jonathan Isaac.

Weltman has made it clear guard Jalen Suggs is also an integral part of the franchise and both sides are hopeful to strike his rookie extension before the start of the regular season (Oct. 21 deadline).

“It just shows the trust,” Carter said of the moves made by Orlando’s front office. “They see the work that we put in every day behind the scenes. They’ve got a certain feel for the game that most front offices may not. They understand the game of basketball. They understand when a team is together.”

As for his sprained left ankle, Carter is considered day-to-day, the Sentinel learned. The timing of his return will depend on how he reacts to treatment.

Carter hopes to return as quickly as he can.

“The goal is, of course, to play in the next game, if not the game after that,” he said. “[I] definitely want to get some more reps with the first unit guys before we get going [in the regular season.] So, I’m definitely going to try to get back before the end of the preseason.”

If he can’t play Wednesday in San Antonio, Bitadze could be in line to replace him in the starting lineup. It’s what Mosley opted to do last season when Carter missed a portion of games with a fractured left hand.

Bitadze made 62 appearances with 33 starts. On Monday he totaled 7 points with 9 rebounds and 2 blocks in 10 minutes against New Orleans.

“We are all worried about him, but thank God it’s nothing serious and it’s still preseason,” Bitadze said of Carter. “He’s got some time to heal back. But [for] me, that’s what I’m getting paid for. That’s why I’m here to stay ready, come in any time, fill the spot that is necessary to be filled.

“I’ve just got to go out there and do what I do best — compete and help the team win games.”

Regardless of when Carter returns, the 6-10 center knows he’s a key factor for what Orlando hopes to accomplish in the future. Monday’s extension was evidence of that.

“We all take winning as the number one priority, and when you keep a group together as talented as we are, we’re only going to just get better,” he said. “I’m just glad that they were able to secure this, me personally, and just for this team to keep the core together.”

Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com

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