The Orlando Magic have reached contract extensions with point guard Markelle Fultz and forward Jonathan Isaac, investing in key future pieces of the franchise.
Fultz, the No. 1 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, has signed a three-year deal worth $50 million while Isaac’s deal is for four years and $80 million, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Isaac was the sixth pick of the 2017 draft.
The new contracts will begin with the 2021-22 season.
“We are thrilled to keep both Markelle [Fultz] and Jonathan [Isaac] in a Magic uniform,” Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said in a press release. “They both have a very bright future and they mean a lot to our organization, both on and off the court.”
The extensions represent Orlando’s commitment to Fultz and Isaac as core players.
The Magic acquired Fultz in February 2019 for Jonathon Simmons and a 2020 second-round pick. Fultz, 22, missed the remainder of the season while recovering from a shoulder injury, then played in 72 of the team’s 73 regular-season games in 2019-20. Fultz was starting by the sixth game of the season and went on to average 12.1 points and 5.1 assists per game.
More than anything, getting a full season of a healthy Fultz was an encouraging sign for the Magic.
Weltman said during the offseason that he’s grateful the focus on Fultz is now about what he’s doing on the court.
“My hope for Markelle is that we’re moving past the point of talking about what he dealt with before he came here, and now we’re starting to evaluate him as a player. That’s a credit to him because he’s put himself in a position to now be evaluated on his ability,” Weltman said.
The three-year deal represents a commitment by the Magic but also gives Fultz a chance to hit unrestricted free agency in the prime of his career. He’ll be 26 when the contract expires.
Isaac, meanwhile, began to emerge as one of the league’s elite defenders last season before a knee injury Jan. 1 halted his season. Isaac returned during the NBA restart and looked like he hadn’t missed a beat before sustaining an ACL tear in the same knee. He’s out for the upcoming season as he rehabs the surgically-repaired knee.
Despite the injury, Isaac, 23, almost assuredly would have had suitors had he reached restricted free agency in the 2021 offseason. The Magic weren’t willing to take that chance.
The extension reflects not only the team’s view of Isaac an important piece to the franchise but also that his rehabilitation progress is going well.
Fultz and Isaac were among the 19 players who were still eligible Monday to sign rookie-scale extensions before the season starts Tuesday. Jayson Tatum, Donovan Mitchell, Bam Adebayo, De’Aaron Fox, and Kyle Kuzma already had signed new deals.
Teams had until 6 p.m. EST Monday to reach rookie-scale agreements with eligible players. These extensions can run for up to four — or five — years, with those contracts going into effect for the 2021-22 season.
Players who did not sign an extension will be eligible for restricted free agency in the 2021 offseason.
