What Will The Orlando Magic Do Now With Jonathan Isaac?

On January 1, 2020, almost 30 months ago, Magic forward Jonathan Isaac forced a steal from the Wizards’ Bradley Beal, drove to the rim hoping to convert the turnover into points and instead bumped into Beal, going to the floor clutching his left knee. That play left Isaac with a sprain and a bad bone bruise, which would keep him out for the remainder of the season—except that the Covid-19 pandemic hit, pushed the remainder of the season back to late July and August and allowed Isaac to return to the court.

Two games into his return, though, Isaac was again on the floor, clutching his knee, during a game against Sacramento. This time he had torn his ACL, an injury that, bizarrely, has kept him out for two full seasons. Isaac was not much missed, because the Magic are rebuilding and have been happy to give playing time to young and untested players.

But when the Magic won the NBA draft lottery this month, getting the top pick of a pool dominated by big guys, the future of Isaac was an overlooked subplot. Orlando has a pair of young frontcourt players in place already, with Wendell Carter Jr. and Chuma Okeke (who needs to take a big step forward in Year 3), and will add another—either Jabari Smith, Chet Holmgren or Paolo Banchero—on June 23. Smith, a power forward, is said to be the frontrunner, but the Magic have yet to begin their workouts in earnest.

Contract Could Make Isaac A Trade Piece

No matter which way the Magic go with the top pick, Isaac’s future with the team will be in doubt. That’s quite a turn from where Isaac was back when he first injured the knee on New Year’s Day 2020. At the time, Isaac was developing into the star defender the Magic imagined, averaging 2.5 blocks and 1.6 steals while also gaining confidence offensively, averaging a career-high 12.3 points. He’d been given the nickname, “Minister of Defense,” and was backing it up on the floor, one of the early favorites for that season’s Defensive Player of the Year.

“It’s easy to forget how good he was, and how much they were planning to build around him,” one Eastern Conference general manager said. “I think they will want to get him back on the floor and see how he fits or at least build up some value if they want to trade him. They could do pretty well in a trade, most likely, if he is involved. He is a good piece because of his contract.”

Ah yes, the contract. As ESPN’s Bobby Marks and Spotrac note, when Isaac signed a contract extension during his ACL rehab, it was heavily weighted toward him getting back on the floor. Because Isaac missed all of last season, only $16 million of his $17.4 million is guaranteed this season. Next year, that drops to $7.4 million, and his contract is not guaranteed at all for 2024-25. If a team is looking to cut future costs, then, a trade for Isaac would do the trick.

But are the Magic really ready to give up on Isaac, ready to look at Isaac merely as a trade chip? Even with two lost seasons, he is only 24 and should eventually get his athleticism back. If that happens, Isaac likely could forge a role on a team that is badly in need of a defensive presence, a team that has promising young scorers Cole Anthony and Franz Wagner on board and is about to add another top-notch frontcourt scorer in the draft. Isaac would not have to pitch in much offensively, but his defense could be invaluable.

Or, maybe the Magic are ready to cut bait with Isaac, ready to move on and see if there is an asset or two that can be brought back in a trade. The team was once projected to build around center Mo Bamba and, but the team looks ready to let Bamba walk as he hits free agency this summer. It could take the same approach with Isaac, and start over completely. If so, it would mark a pretty steep decline for Isaac, who was once thought to be the future face of the franchise.

The Magic, rightly, celebrated their good luck in winning the No. 1 pick. But Isaac’s spot with the team might be lost in the process, some collateral damage to the Orlando rebuilding project.