ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando Magic star Paolo Banchero has a torn right oblique, the team said Thursday night after he had further testing in Cleveland.

Banchero will be out indefinitely and be re-evaluated in four to six weeks, President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman said.

It's important to note that Weltman said Banchero's health would be re-evaluated after that period. Even if his recovery is complete in that time span, Banchero likely would need an additional one to two weeks to get back in playing condition so that he does not get re-injured. In addition, the Magic are traditionally extremely conservative in the amount of time they take to get players back on the court after injuries, often extending the time off the court beyond what was expected.

Oblique muscles run down the sides of the body's torso next to the abdominal muscles and power rotational and lateral bending movements, so they are important to the power game that Banchero plays.

Banchero, the first overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, was injured Wednesday night in the fourth quarter of Orlando’s victory at Chicago, the team said in announcing his status.

Orlando will play at undefeated Cleveland (5-0) on Friday night in a rematch of last season's first-round playoff series, but Orlando (3-2) will go into the game at a severe disadvantage. The Magic pushed Cleveland to a Game 7 in last year's series, getting an average of 27 points, 8.6 rebounds and four assists from Banchero.

As of early Friday afternoon, center Goga Bitadze was listed as questionable with a tendon strain in his left foot. Forward Franz Wagner, who missed part of the past two games with an illness, is listed as available.

The game against the Bulls was the first in a five-game road trip that also will take the Magic west to face the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder and the high-scoring Dallas Mavericks before wrapping up the trip with a rematch against the Pacers.

With Banchero out, Orlando is going to have to find a way to replace the 29 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists that he has provided the team. The power forward has been the focus of the Magic's offense, driving into the lane to create scoring opportunities for his teammates by pulling the defense's attention to him. He also generates points at the free-throw line when he gets fouled on those drives. So, coach Jamahl Mosley and his staff are going to have to rethink how to adapt.

The injury also came at a time when Banchero, coming off his first All-Star season last year, was playing the best basketball of his career in his third season in the league. He scored a career-high 50 points against the Indiana Pacers on Monday night.

Orlando, which earned the No. 5 seeding in last season's playoffs via a tiebreaker, entered the season with hopes to secure home-court advantage in this year's playoffs. The injury to Banchero is a blow to the team's aspirations.

The Magic have other very talented players — including forward Franz Wagner, who signed a maximum five-year contract extension worth at least $224 million, and guard Jalen Suggs, who inked a five-year, $150.5 million exception in the offseason. But Orlando's roster has primarily been built to complement Banchero's strengths since the team drafted him.

The period of time that Banchero will miss also will include games against the Philadelphia 76ers and a three-game west coast trip that will include matchups against the Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers and L.A. Clippers. Orlando will play 32 of its 82 games, 39% of its season contests, by the end of December.