Magic Notes: Roster, Coaching Search, Mosley, Isaac
The Magic are making a head coaching change this spring, but president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman doesn’t believe significant roster changes are necessary for the team to take the next step toward title contention, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.
Although Weltman admitted that losing a first-round series after leading 3-1 – and holding a 24-point lead in Game 6 – was a “gut punch” for his team, he believes that it’s a positive that Orlando was one game from closing out the top-seeded Pistons before Franz Wagner went down with a calf injury.
“When healthy, we were top five (on) defense and top 10 (on) offense,” Weltman said. “… I think we saw some of what we had hoped to see (against Detroit). So I don’t want to tear this thing down and dismantle it because of the way it ended and certainly one half.”
Injuries have been a recurring issue for this version of the Magic. Wagner was limited to 34 regular season appearances this season, largely due to a nagging ankle problem, while Wagner, Paolo Banchero, and Jalen Suggs all had extended health-related absences in 2024/25.
“It’s very frustrating,” Weltman said, per Youngmisuk. “But it’s also very encouraging because whenever they are together, they have been elite. I feel like there are different ways to build a team. We are built on physicality, versatility, good defensive personnel and ultimately guys that can elevate their games in the playoffs. I think what we had hoped to happen in the playoffs happened. But obviously it’s hard to outrun injuries.
“… Had we stayed healthy, I’d like to imagine where we would have gone in this series and beyond. I think when you build a team for the playoffs, you try to construct a roster that has the attributes that we have. It’s not easy to get the positional versatility, guys that can elevate their games when it matters the most. The physicality, a lot of the way that we are built is designed to be successful in the playoffs.
Here’s more on the Magic:
- Not everyone around the league shares Weltman’s rosy view of his roster. One Eastern Conference scout who spoke to Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst of ESPN said the Magic are “kind of a mess,” adding that Banchero and Wagner overlap as “iffy” shooters who need the ball in their hands to be most effective. “Their ceiling just isn’t very high with Paolo. Their roster construction is just off,” the scout said. “Paolo has to have the ball to make an impact. He reminds me of Julius Randle: great size, great talent, but he’s more of a floor-(raiser) than ceiling-raiser. Having him lead your team is tough to pull off.”
- Weltman spoke at length at his end-of-season presser about the Magic’s impending head coaching search, though he said the team isn’t looking for a “particular trait or a quality,” suggesting that he wants to keep an open mind about potential candidates, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required). Weltman wouldn’t even say whether he prefers someone with or without prior head coaching experience. “I don’t want to kind of come to it with any preconceived non-negotiables,” he explained. “There are some really talented young guys out there that haven’t gotten a chance yet – as (Jamahl Mosley) was. There are also some guys that have proven that they can do the job. What’s the best fit for our team right now? I don’t think you can really know more than speculate until we really like … get in and talk to them and exchange ideas and their thoughts on our team. That’ll hopefully lead us where we need to go; the more preconditions you put on that, maybe you kind of give yourself a worse chance of getting to the right place.”
- Speaking of Mosley, he put out a formal statement on Monday after being let go by the team, referring to his five years on the job as “incredible.” Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link) has the full statement.
- Within his preview of the Magic’s offseason, ESPN’s Bobby Marks says adding more shooting off the bench will be a priority, as will acquiring an athletic, rebounding big man and a play-making reserve guard. Marks also considers whether Orlando will sign Anthony Black to a rookie scale extension and suggests Jonathan Isaac is a potential release candidate, since only $8MM of the $44MM left on his contract is guaranteed and that money could be spread across seven seasons using the stretch provision.
Injury Updates: Ingram, Harris, Huerter, F. Wagner, Isaac
As expected, the Raptors will be down their leading scorer as they try to avoid elimination on Friday, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter link). After being downgraded to doubtful earlier in the day due to right heel inflammation, All-Star forward Brandon Ingram will be sidelined for the Game 6 home contest vs. Cleveland.
Ingram, who exited Game 5 in the second quarter after aggravating a heel issue that sidelined him for three games during the final few weeks of the regular season, is still experiencing pain in that right heel and wasn’t on the court for the portion of Friday’s shootaround. Toronto will also be without starting guard Immanuel Quickley, who will miss the entire series due to a hamstring strain.
On a more positive note for the Raptors, Scottie Barnes wasn’t on the injury report ahead of tonight’s game after Toronto’s other All-Star took a hit to the thigh in Wednesday’s loss.
“He’s feeling good,” head coach Darko Rajakovic said of Barnes (Twitter link via Lewenberg). “It’s awesome to be young and recover quickly.”
Here are more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Pistons starting forward Tobias Harris (left ankle sprain) will be active for Friday’s Game 6 in Orlando, but reserve wing Kevin Huerter (left adductor strain) is out, tweets Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. As we noted earlier on Friday when both players were questionable, Huerter has played a modest role in the series, but Harris has scored at least 16 points in each of the first five games. Detroit is also facing elimination, currently at a 3-2 deficit in the first-round matchup.
- Magic star Franz Wagner will miss his second straight game on Friday due to a right calf strain, and his return doesn’t sound imminent. Head coach Jamahl Mosley said the German forward wasn’t able to do anything at Friday’s shootaround, according to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Wagner, who was in a walking boot on Wednesday, suggested ahead of Game 5 that he and the team would take a cautious approach due to the nature of the injury.
- In addition to Wagner, the Magic will be without Jonathan Isaac again on Friday. The veteran big man continues to battle a left knee sprain he suffered on March 12. Mosley said Friday morning that Isaac still hasn’t done contact work, Beede writes. “Just how he responds to each part of treatment,” Mosley said. “Some days it’s feeling a certain way. Some days it might not feel as great. So we’re always going to be cautious and smart about how they respond to each treatment each time they go through it.”
Injury Notes: Gordon, Hyland, Wagner, Isaac, Huerter, Hart
Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon is listed as questionable in the official injury report for Thursday’s Game 6 at Minnesota. Gordon wasn’t available for Games 3 and 5, but he managed to play through the pain caused by tightness in his left calf and logged 23 minutes in Saturday’s Game 4.
Tomorrow will be another must-win for Denver, which trails 3-2 in the series. Coach David Adelman talked to reporters, including Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (Twitter link), about what will go into making the decision on Gordon’s availability.
“I though Aaron in the first half (of Game 4) was very different from Aaron in the second half,” Adelman said. “And I know in both halves, he wasn’t moving great. So I’m not saying he looked great the first half. But I thought his mobility, the way he guarded (Julius) Randle in the post, we need that. I thought in the second half, you could see the wear and tear. Not to mention, for me, one of the hardest parts of a guy like that is you’ve gotta get him back on the court quicker (after he subs out). And I think when you get to halftime, you sit there for 20 minutes, that doesn’t help anyone.
“So I’m not a doctor. I’m not a trainer. But obviously, you guys could see it. I could see it. There’s a point where it’s not good for him; it’s not good for the team. And everybody knows that Aaron wants to play. The guy’s the ultimate teammate. He’s been so good for us over the years. But we have to do what’s right for him and the team.”
Gordon and Peyton Watson, who remains sidelined with a hamstring issue, worked out after today’s walkthrough, according to Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette (Twitter link).
Other than Donte DiVincenzo and Anthony Edwards, who both suffered serious injuries on Saturday, the only player listed on the Timberwolves‘ injury report is Bones Hyland, who is questionable due to left knee soreness.
We have a few more injury-related updates from around the league:
- Magic forward Franz Wagner, who was ruled out of tonight’s Game 5 with a calf strain, offered an update on his condition, per Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link).“I hate to miss any game, especially in this situation,” Wagner said. “But I think there are things that are really important. Obviously, we know the history of other guys that have gotten hurt. So like I said, you’ve got to be careful with this kind of injury.” Wagner had his right foot in a boot as he spoke with the media, adds Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link). Jamal Cain took Wagner’s place in the starting lineup.
- The Magic are also missing backup big man Jonathan Isaac, who’s out with a left knee sprain, per Marc Stein of the Stein Line (Twitter link).
- The Pistons are playing tonight without Kevin Huerter, who’s sidelined with a left adductor strain, relays Hunter Patterson of The Athletic (Twitter link).
- The Knicks are listing Josh Hart as questionable for Thursday’s Game 6 with a lower back contusion, tweets Fred Katz of The Athletic.
Magic Notes: Bane, Isaac, Cain, Series Lead
The Magic‘s big offseason addition came through on Saturday when they needed him most. After scoring 17 points on 20 shots in Game 1 and 12 points on 11 shots in Game 2, Desmond Bane got hot in Game 3, scoring 25 points on 9-of-18 shooting and hitting 7-of-9 three-pointers.
Not only did Bane lead the Magic to a 2-1 series lead over the top-seeded Pistons, but he also tied Dennis Scott‘s franchise playoff record for made threes in a postseason game, Mike Bianchi writes for the Orlando Sentinel.
“Hopefully, I break (the record) before these playoffs are over,” Bane said after the game.
That kind of shooting from Bane is what the Magic envisioned when they traded for him. And at least for one game, it changed the way the Pistons had to guard them.
“I think that opens up another dimension for our group,” Franz Wagner said of Bane’s shot-making, per ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk.
We have more news and notes from the Magic:
- Previously listed as doubtful, Jonathan Isaac has been ruled out for Game 4 with a left knee sprain, The Sentinel’s Jason Beede notes (via Twitter). Isaac hasn’t suited up since March 12, when he played just one minute. He hasn’t logged 10 minutes since February 26, and he has only been available for 52 games this season.
- Jamal Cain‘s box score impact might not be significant, but he has earned the trust of his teammates with his steady, veteran play, Beede writes. “[The players] celebrate him when he has some success, but he just does all the little things within a game, rebounding, guarding multiple players,” coach Jamahl Mosley said. “And just does it without saying anything, just (does) what’s necessary to help this team get a win.” While Cain was a member of the 2023 Heat, who went from a No. 8 seed to the NBA Finals, this series represents his first chance to actually get on the floor in the playoffs. “I knew he was a rotational player (back) in open gym,” Bane said. “Just the way he defends, the way he’s able to make open shots … (He’s) unselfish and plays extremely hard. Those guys don’t grow on trees. So, I knew it was only a matter of time, and in this league when you get your opportunity, you’ve got to be ready. And he was ready.”
- It has been sixteen years since the Magic led a playoff series after three or more games, Josh Robbins writes for The Athletic. It hasn’t been an easy road to get to this point, but the players and coaching staff have overcome adversity and earned this opportunity to extend the series lead on Monday night through their resilience and timely coalescing, Beede adds. “We just want to win so bad,” star forward Paolo Banchero said. “Once we got into the play-in, got our spot in the playoffs … It’s a new season, that’s all we kept saying. It’s a new season, new energy.” The Magic know that the Pistons are not going to make things easy on them as Detroit faces an unexpected uphill climb. “We know what the next game holds,” said Jalen Suggs. “We know the magnitude of it, and we’ve got to come out and continue doing the things that we did tonight and build off of a couple key learning moments that we can take with us into the next one.”
Magic Notes: Game 2 Loss, Da Silva, Isaac
The Magic beat the Pistons in Game 1 of their series on Sunday, then were tied halfway through Game 2 and held Detroit to 14 fourth-quarter points on Wednesday. However, a disaster of a third quarter in which the Pistons opened on a 30-3 run and outscored Orlando 38-16 cost the Magic a shot at a 2-0 series lead as they head back home.
“You can’t just flush it and act like nothing happened,” Magic forward Paolo Banchero said after Wednesday’s loss, per Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link). “You’ve got to go back and watch it, see what went wrong, both sides of the rock and learn from it, for sure. We know what type of series it’s going to be. It’s going to be an ugly, gritty series, and you just can’t let your guard down and let them go on runs like that.”
As ugly as that third quarter was, the Magic were glad to be able to win one of the first two games in the series in Detroit and still feel confident as they head home looking to take a 2-1 lead in Saturday’s Game 3, as Beede writes in a story for the Orlando Sentinel (subscription required). Franz Wagner told reporters the Magic are very comfortable at the Kia Center, where they went 25-15 during the regular season, while Desmond Bane identified three-point shooting (8-of-32 in Game 2) and second-chance shots (0-for-11) as areas for improvement on Saturday.
“We had good opportunities — multiple chances of put-backs, multiple chances of dagger threes — and some nights you just don’t make shots,” Bane said. “I anticipate us making more shots throughout the series.”
Let’s round up a few more notes on the Magic…
- Orlando’s season appeared to be on life support last Friday as the team prepared to face the Hornets, one of the NBA’s hottest teams, in a do-or-die play-in game for the final playoff spot in the East. Ohm Youngmiusk of ESPN takes a look at how a film session that morning featuring a highlight reel of several Magic players’ big moments in NCAA tournaments helped remind the team of what it’s capable of. “It makes everybody feel a bit better,” guard Jalen Suggs told Youngmisuk. “You remember where you came from. Mose (head coach Jamahl Mosley) is really good at that, giving us reminders of who we are, our complete basketball journey, not just whether it be the frustrations or the heaviness of right now.”
- As a rookie last spring, Tristan Da Silva logged just five minutes in two playoff appearances for the Magic and failed to score a point. This time around, the second-year forward is playing a key rotation role, averaging 19 minutes through the first two games of the series. According to Beede (subscription required), Da Silva said 2025’s brief postseason run was a good learning experience despite his lack of playing time. “Even being really up close last year and being able to see the level of focus, the level of preparation that goes into it and the level of play that’s at hand (and now) being able to experience that first-hand and playing, it’s a fun experience,” he said.
- Magic forward Jonathan Isaac has been sidelined since March 12 due to a left knee sprain, but he was upgraded to doubtful for Game 2 before being ruled out, tweets Beede, which suggests his return may not be off. Even if Isaac is activated, it’s unclear whether he’d play at all during Orlando’s first-round series vs. Detroit after such a long layoff.
Southeast Notes: Ball, Heat, Knueppel, Magic, Wizards
The NBA is reviewing LaMelo Ball‘s trip of Bam Adebayo, which resulted in the Heat big man suffering a lower back injury and exiting Tuesday’s play-in game early, reports Chris Haynes of NBA on Prime (Twitter link). A ruling is expected before Friday, Haynes adds.
As we detailed on Tuesday night, after having his shot blocked by Heat wing Simone Fontecchio, Ball fell to the court and grabbed Adebayo’s foot, bringing him to the floor as he grabbed the rebound and passed the ball to Fontecchio (video link via NBA.com). Ball wasn’t called for any sort of foul by the game officials, who missed the trip in real time, but Heat coach Erik Spoelstra expressed his discontent after the game, referring to it as a “dangerous play” by the Hornets guard.
Crew chief Zach Zarba confirmed to a pool reporter after the game that the league has the ability to review the play after the fact, which is exactly what the NBA will do. ESPN’s Shams Charania said during an NBA Today appearance (Twitter video link) that league officials have already reached out both teams and intend to interview Ball. For his part, the Hornets star apologized after the game, explaining, “I got hit in the head (on the play) and didn’t really know where I was,” per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.
It seems likely that the NBA will ultimately decide to assess Ball with a flagrant foul 1 or flagrant foul 2, but there’s doubt that he’ll be suspended for Friday’s do-or-die play-in game against the loser of Wednesday’s Sixers/Magic matchup, according to Charania.
Here are a few more items of interest from across the Southeast:
- ESPN’s Bobby Marks and The Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson preview the Heat‘s upcoming offseason, noting that the team’s decision on unrestricted free agent Norman Powell will be a major factor in what direction the summer goes. Jackson believes it’s a “toss-up” whether Powell returns, pointing out that the veteran guard was less durable and less productive in the second half, reducing the odds of Miami offering him a lucrative long-term contract.
- In a separate story for The Miami Herald, Jackson says he hopes Tuesday’s play-in loss is a wake-up call for Heat management and that team president Pat Riley is prepared to admit that – regardless of injury luck – this roster isn’t good enough to contend. Riley and the front office need to consider new ideas, Jackson writes, including perhaps being more open to selling high on Miami’s own players or buying low on stars whose value has declined.
- Media members who vote on end-of-season awards have yet to receive their ballots as the NBA weighs “extraordinary circumstances” applications, prompting Chris Mannix of SI.com to wonder if Kon Knueppel‘s 2-of-12 night on Tuesday might hurt the Hornets sharpshooter’s Rookie of the Year chances, even though voters are only supposed to consider regular season performances.
- Magic forward Jett Howard, out since April 3 with a left ankle sprain, has been upgraded to available for Wednesday’s play-in game vs. Philadelphia, while Jonathan Isaac (left knee sprain) is still considered questionable, tweets Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Isaac last suited up on March 12 and seems unlikely to see much – if any – action even if he’s active.
- Keith Smith of Spotrac examines several of the decisions facing the Wizards this offseason, including how to handle Trae Young‘s contract situation and whether to extend Anthony Davis.
Magic Notes: Wagner, Black, Isaac, Suggs, Cain
Magic forward Franz Wagner has missed 20 consecutive games and has only made four total appearances since December 7 due to a left high ankle sprain, but he has taken some positive recent steps toward a return, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required). Wagner has been able to take contact and practiced with the Osceola Magic while on a brief G League assignment this week, according to Beede.
With just nine games left on Orlando’s regular season schedule, time is running out for Wagner to return during the regular season in the hopes of ramping up for the playoffs. However, head coach Jamahl Mosley said on Thursday that there’s no minimum number of regular season games Wagner must play in order for him to be available for the postseason.
“That’s not a rule I’m putting in,” Mosley said. “If he’s available, he’s playing.”
We have more on the Magic:
- Anthony Black (left lateral abdominal strain) missed an 11th consecutive game on Thursday, while Jonathan Isaac (left knee sprain) sat out for an eighth straight contest. Both players are doing on-court work but aren’t yet taking contact, Mosley told Beede. “Just kind of getting some light shooting in, but not much movement,” the Magic coach said.
- After missing two games due to an illness, Jalen Suggs was able to return to action for Thursday’s game and took on his usual workload, reentering the starting lineup and logging 34 minutes in a 121-117 win over Sacramento. Although he scored just eight points on 3-of-8 shooting, Suggs made one of the most important baskets of the night, hitting a three-pointer with 27 seconds left to extend the Magic’s lead to four points. “Huge shot,” teammate Desmond Bane said, per Beede (subscription required). “Welcome back, J. It’s good to have him back in the lineup, for sure.”
- Since being promoted from a two-way deal to a standard contract last week, forward Jamal Cain has submitted several of his best performances of the season — he has averaged 10.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per night in his past four outings, registering eight assists vs. a single turnover during that stretch. He had 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting in Thursday’s victory and earned praise from teammate Paolo Banchero for his contributions. “He’s making big time energy plays out there,” Banchero said, according to Beede. “Cuts, rebounds, transition finishes … He’s athletic. He has a solid feel for the game out there.” Orlando holds a minimum-salary team option on Cain for 2026/27.
Injury Notes: Mitchell, Hart, Edwards, Isaac, Carter
Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell was downgraded from questionable to out ahead of Thursday’s matchup at Chicago, tweets Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. The 6’2″ combo guard is dealing with a left eye contusion and said his vision was obstructed after Tuesday’s win in Milwaukee, per Fedor (Twitter link).
“Can’t really see out of my left eye,” Mitchell said. “It was tough — tonight. It is what it is. I was still able to get to the free throw line. Was still able to make plays. My biggest thing was like, I may not have it scoring wise, but what else am I doing to help?”
Second-year wing Jaylon Tyson got the starting nod for Cleveland on Thursday with Mitchell sidelined.
Here are few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Knicks guard/forward Josh Hart has been ruled out of Friday’s game at Brooklyn due to patellofemoral pain syndrome in his right knee, according to Steve Popper of Newsday (Twitter link). As Jared Schwartz of The New York Post notes (via Twitter), Hart missed a couple of games last week because of knee soreness, but that was to his left knee, not his right. Patellofemoral pain syndrome, also known as runner’s knee, is the same issue which has prevented Stephen Curry from playing for several weeks, though there’s no indication Hart’s injury is that severe.
- Hart and Curry aren’t the only NBA players battling runner’s knee. The Timberwolves announced today (via Twitter) that Anthony Edwards, who is out one-to-two weeks due to right knee inflammation, also has patellafemoral pain syndrome in that same knee. The updated diagnosis won’t impact the star guard’s projected return timeline, per Chris Hine of The Star Tribune (Twitter link).
- The Magic were shorthanded in the frontcourt for Thursday’s game at Charlotte, as Wendell Carter Jr. (bruised left rib) and Jonathan Isaac (left knee sprain) were both ruled out, tweets Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. As Beede writes in a full story, Isaac was relieved his knee injury, which he suffered last Thursday, wasn’t more serious. The 28-year-old previously missed two-and-a-half seasons with a torn ACL in the same knee. “It sucked,” Isaac said Tuesday. “It was tough. Based on what I felt, it was like an ‘Oh man, not again’ type of moment. So, I kind of just tried to manage my expectations when I (was) hearing from the doctor, but gratefully, they said it’s just a sprain, and that’ll be something I can come back from this season.” Isaac’s return isn’t imminent, Beede adds — the veteran big man won’t start ramping up his activity until next week. “I’m really glad it wasn’t something worse,” Isaac said. “So, I just have to manage this sprain and get better. Just wait until it calms down a little bit with the inflammation and the pain, and then slowly work back.”
Southeast Notes: Johnson, NAW, Wagner, Black, Isaac, Bam
Within a feature on the NBA’s hottest team, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) notes that the Hawks could’ve been a viable trade suitor for Giannis Antetokounmpo prior to last month’s deadline, but says the idea of including Jalen Johnson in an offer for the Bucks star was viewed as a “non-starter” in Atlanta.
Johnson’s own agent, Rich Paul, fueled trade speculation when he suggested in a December episode of the Game Over podcast that Milwaukee should target his client in Giannis trade talks (Twitter video link). However, according to Fischer, the Hawks believe the 24-year-old, who made his first All-Star team this season, has MVP-level upside.
“That was probably the first time in my career (hearing) the rumors and stuff like that,” Johnson told Fischer. “But I got reassurance from everyone around here that that’s not the plan. Obviously it means a lot … the trust they have in me and the belief they have in me.”
Johnson is averaging career highs in points (23.0), rebounds (10.4), and assists (8.1) per game in 2025/26. He’s in the first season of a five-year contract that will pay him $30MM annually through 2029/30.
Here’s more from around the Southeast:
- The Hawks extended their winning streak to 10 games on Tuesday as guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored a career-high 41 points and made a career-best nine three-pointers. As Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes (subscription required), Alexander-Walker is building a strong Most Improved Player case in his first season in Atlanta. His scoring average of 20.3 points per game is more than double last season’s mark (9.4 PPG), and he has done it without sacrificing efficiency — his 59.2% true shooting percentage is a career high.
- After playing in each of the Magic‘s first 24 games, forward Franz Wagner has missed 40 of the past 44 due to a troublesome left ankle injury. Speaking to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required), Wagner acknowledged it has been a “very frustrating process” rehabbing that high ankle sprain. “Going into it, I was kind of expecting to feel really good within, like, four, six weeks of the injury,” he said. “And obviously that wasn’t how I felt. So, I think that’s always frustrating probably not just for me (but) for everybody involved.”
- In addition to being without Wagner vs. Charlotte on Thursday, the Magic will also be missing Anthony Black (left lateral abdominal strain) for a seventh straight game and Jonathan Isaac (left knee sprain) for a fourth straight contest. According to Beede, Isaac was wearing a knee brace on Tuesday, while head coach Jamahl Mosley said that Black “hasn’t touched the floor, really, at all.”
- Heat big man Bam Adebayo appears likely to return to action on Thursday vs. the Lakers after sitting out on Tuesday due to calf tightness. He’s listed as probable to play, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.
Magic’s Jonathan Isaac Suffers Left Knee Sprain Thursday
Big man Jonathan Isaac sprained his left knee during Thursday’s overtime win vs. Washington and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest, the Magic announced (via Twitter).
“My heart dropped,” head coach Jamahl Mosley said of the moment Isaac went down, according to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link). Mosley added that Isaac’s injury took “a lot of energy out of our players.”
According to the Magic (Twitter link), Isaac underwent an MRI on Thursday, which confirmed the sprain. His return will depend on how his knee responds to treatment.
For what it’s worth, Beede saw Isaac walking without assistance in the locker room. The 28-year-old declined to speak to the media prior to exiting the locker room, Beede adds (via Twitter).
Isaac recently missed three consecutive games due to left knee soreness, but he was available for Wednesday’s victory against Cleveland even though he didn’t play.
“That’s just something that’s been kind of lingering,” Mosley said over the weekend. “We just continue to monitor it to make sure that it doesn’t continue to get worse over time, just being more careful than anything.”
Isaac previously missed two-and-a-half seasons after suffering a torn ACL in his left knee in 2020.
Entering Thursday, Isaac had averaged 2.6 points and 2.6 rebounds in 10.2 minutes per game across 51 appearances. He and the Magic recently worked out a deal to amend his salary protection for next season.