Noah Penda is cleared to play after being day-to-day with a hamstring and leg issue, according to the injury report. He is available for Orlando's season opener at Cleveland on Sunday night.
What happened
The Orlando Magic cleared Noah Penda on Sunday, Oct. 11 at 5:45 p.m. ET, lifting the day-to-day tag he had carried since Wednesday, Sept. 30, when he was first listed as day-to-day with a hamstring and leg issue. The injury report did not include a detail on his current condition or a comment from the team, and it listed no expected return timeline since he is now cleared to play. The move comes hours before Orlando's season opener at Cleveland, with Penda, a 21-year-old guard-forward, available for the Magic tonight.
What it means for the Magic
Orlando opens its season at the Cavaliers on Sunday, Oct. 11 at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, and Penda is available for that game. As a rookie last season, Penda played 59 games and averaged 12.8 minutes, 3.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists. The Magic enter at 0-0 with the 2026-27 season not yet underway, so there is no record to measure with or without him. Paolo Banchero (34.7 minutes, 22.2 points), Desmond Bane (33.6 minutes, 20.1 points) and Franz Wagner (30.0 minutes, 20.6 points) have carried the heaviest loads in Orlando's rotation, with Anthony Black, Wendell Carter Jr., Jalen Suggs, Tristan da Silva and Jevon Carter rounding out the minutes behind them.
What to watch
Orlando's next injury report will show whether Penda's status holds through the Cleveland game and beyond. No expected return timeline applies now that he is cleared. The Magic also list Desmond Bane, Anthony Black, Jalen Suggs and Jonathan Isaac as day-to-day and Izaiyah Nelson as out, so Sunday's report is worth checking again before tip-off at Cleveland and as the season opener unfolds.
Is Noah Penda playing at the Cavaliers?
Yes. The injury report cleared him Sunday, Oct. 11 at 5:45 p.m. ET, removing the day-to-day tag, ahead of Orlando's 6:30 p.m. tip-off at Cleveland.
When will Noah Penda be back?
He is already back. Penda is cleared to play in Orlando's season opener at Cleveland, and no further return timeline is announced.