After making his long-awaited comeback less than two months ago, Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac’s 2022-23 season will be cut short.
Isaac underwent surgery Friday morning to repair a torn left adductor muscle (inner thigh) and will miss the remainder of the regular season, the team said in a statement later in the day.
He had an MRI conducted Wednesday, which revealed the injury, after he felt discomfort following Tuesday’s practice in Milwaukee.
“Our thoughts are with Jonathan, whose fortitude in dealing with adversity is unique,” Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said in a statement. “Jonathan has worked extremely hard to return to the court this season and has demonstrated his impact on our team. We will be by his side as he focuses on the work ahead.”
Isaac was sidelined for three consecutive games entering Friday’s road trip-ending matchup against the Hornets in Charlotte. He was listed as out because of a strained right hamstring/adductor.
He didn’t travel with the team to New Orleans for Monday’s 101-93 win over the Pelicans, staying in Central Florida to undergo further evaluations.
Isaac rejoined the team in Milwaukee Tuesday ahead of Wednesday’s blowout loss to the Bucks and was listed as questionable for the matchup but was ruled out 3 1/2 hours ahead of tipoff.
The Magic were operating with an abundance of caution with Isaac after he was sidelined for 2 1/2 years before returning to the court in late January.
Isaac was sidelined from August 2020 until Jan. 11 after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee on Aug. 2, 2020, during the league’s restart in its Disney World bubble.
He had surgery on the right hamstring last March while rehabbing from the left knee injury.
Isaac made his return with the Magic’s G League affiliate, the Lakeland Magic, earlier this year and played three games for Lakeland before making his return to Orlando in the Jan. 23 win over the Boston Celtics.
He’ll end the season with averages of 5 points, 4 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 11.3 minutes (11 games).
Isaac is in the second year of a 4-year, $69.6 million contract he signed with Orlando in December 2020 — four months after his ACL injury.
Because he didn’t play last season, his $17.4 million salaries for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons are partially or non-guaranteed because of an Exhibit 3 (Prior Injury Exclusion) clause in his contract, according to ESPN.
He’s guaranteed $7.4 million for 2023-24 (fully guaranteed $17.4 million after Jan. 10, 2024) and has a non-guaranteed salary for 2024-25 (fully guaranteed $17.4 million if he’s on the roster past Jan. 10, 2025).
Isaac has struggled with lower-body injuries since being drafted with the No. 6 pick in 2017. He’s only played in 147 of 455 possible regular-season games.
