The Magic will finish another season without Jonathan Isaac after it was announced on Friday that the promising forward underwent season-ending surgery to repair a torn left adductor muscle.
The team noted in a statement that the injury was discovered during an MRI on Wednesday, which came after Isaac, who previously missed the last two seasons with a string of knee injuries, experienced discomfort following Tuesday’s practice. The 25-year-old played in just 11 games for 13th-place Orlando (26–37) this season, averaging five points, four rebounds and 1.3 steals in 11.3 minutes per game.
“Our thoughts are with Jonathan, whose fortitude in dealing with adversity is unique,” said Jeff Weltman, Orlando’s President of Basketball Operations, 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.”
Friday’s news marks yet another challenging setback for Isaac, the 2017 sixth overall pick, who has already been plagued by a host of health troubles in his first six NBA seasons. Earlier this year, the former first-rounder made his long-awaited return to action in the Magic’s 113–98 win over the Celtics on Jan. 23, logging 10 points, three boards and two steals in nine minutes.
Isaac re-joined Orlando following a two-year absence that began after he suffered a left posterior lateral corner injury and a medial bone contusion in his knee on Jan. 1 during the 2019–20 season. He briefly returned for two games in the NBA bubble in Orlando before suffering a torn left ACL and meniscus that kept him sidelined through ’20–21 and ’21–22 seasons. He also later required surgery during his rehab for a minor right hamstring injury.
A versatile defender who has only shown flashes of his two-way potential, Isaac has posted averages of nine points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 1.1 steals on 24.7 minutes per game in his 147 regular season appearances (106 starts). He also started all five of the Magic’s playoff games during the 2018–19 postseason, where he averaged 6.6 points, 6.2 rebounds. and one block per contest.
