After successful surgery on his left knee, the Magic guard is ‘expected to make a full recovery,’ the team says.
Orlando Magic star guard Jalen Suggs is out for the season due to injury.
Suggs last played on Jan. 25 against the Detroit Pistons. He previously had back spasms that sidelined him on Jan. 3 against the Toronto Raptors, and his return didn’t last due to knee discomfort.
On Feb. 28, the team announced that he had “a trochlea injury in his left knee.”
According to the
team’s statement on Tuesday, Suggs had “arthroscopic surgery to remove a cartilage fragment in his left knee.” The team added that “Suggs is expected to make a full recovery” and that “his return to the court will depend on how he responds to post-operative treatment and rehabilitation” in the coming months.
Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley
told reporters on Tuesday that he’s “grateful that it was a successful surgery.”
“On top of that, you’re just happy that he’s made it through, but you talk about being able to pour into him more once he returns with us and he’s around us,” Mosely said. “I think those are the most important keys for us moving forward. ”
A former No. 5 pick in 2021 and member of the 2024 NBA All-Defensive Second Team, Suggs has been solid this season with 16.2 points, four rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.46 steals per game in 35 contests. In October 2024, the Magic (29–33) awarded Suggs a five-year, $150.5 million contract extension.
Suggs
finished 10th in Defensive Player of the Year voting last season, helping the Magic end a three-year playoff drought and finish 47–35. He averaged 12.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.4 steals in 75 games last season.
With his latest injury, playing a full season still eludes Suggs. He has never played more than 75 games in a season, and his previous high was 53 games in 2022-2023.
As a rookie in 2021-2022, Suggs suffered ankle and finger injuries. In his second season, he dealt with another ankle injury and a concussion.
His third season brought yet another ankle and wrist injury. Despite 75 games played in his third year, he also dealt with thigh and knee injuries.
“We knew something was going on, but it’s just tough to find out that you’re going to be missing a guy ... for the rest of the season,” Magic guard Anthony Black
told reporters regarding Suggs’s latest injury.
“Tough on all the guys. A lot of us talked to him before he got the surgery. He’s in our prayers, and we’re going to go hard for him,” Black said.
When healthy, Suggs has been effective throughout his career, averaging 12.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.3 steals. The Magic have gradually improved in the win-loss column in each of Suggs’ three seasons, but this year’s squad could be hard-pressed to improve down the stretch. Orlando has the eighth and
final playoff spot by a thread over the Atlanta Hawks (28–33), but the Magic will have to forge ahead without Suggs.
“It’s the nature of the NBA. You’ve got to get healthy,” Black said.
“You can’t be out there risking your health, so we fully understood that, and we’re with him the whole way,” he added. “Obviously, we wanted him back, but we were supporting whatever it was.”
The Magic have gone 8–18 without Suggs in the lineup, and that’s with other players back in the lineup after injury. Earlier in the season, Orlando lost star forwards Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero to injuries. Both returned in January.
“Obviously, it’s super tough for the team, but [also] for Jalen most importantly,” Wagner
told reporters. “We just want to be there for him, and we know that he loves to hoop and wants to be back out there.”
“Rehab isn’t easy, so unfortunately, that’s part of it.”
