On January 23, 2023, Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac made his highly-anticipated return to the court after being sidelined for nearly two-and-a-half years due to a torn ACL. Isaac shined in his first game back, and he continued to make an impact as he suited up in 11 games for the Magic this season.
Unfortunately, Isaac has once again suffered a season-ending injury.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Isaac underwent surgery today to repair a torn left adductor muscle and he'll be out for the remainder of the year.
Isaac's injury struggles started when he initially tore his left ACL on Aug. 2, 2020, when Orlando was competing in the NBA Bubble at Walt Disney World. While fighting his way back from the ACL injury, he suffered numerous setbacks — and even needed a separate surgery on his right hamstring at one point. This caused him to miss the entirety of the 2020-21 season and 2021-22 season.
Now, this is the latest setback for the 25-year-old, who was selected with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. It remains to be seen how long Isaac will be out and if this injury will cause him to miss any of next season.
Isaac finishes this season with averages of 5.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.3 steals and .4 blocks in 11.3 minutes per game, while shooting a career-high 40.0% from three-point range.
Prior to his injuries, Isaac was widely regarded as one of the best young defenders in the NBA, driving opposing teams crazy with his versatility, quickness, length and activity. During the 2019-20 season — the last time he was fully healthy — Isaac averaged 11.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 1.6 steals on .470/.340/.779 shooting splits.
Isaac is Orlando's highest-paid player this season, earning $17.4 million. He has two more years remaining on his current contract.