Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs will miss the remainder of the season following surgery on his left knee.
The Magic announced his status on Tuesday. Suggs had a cartilage fragment removed from his knee and the trochlear joint surface repaired. The trochlea is the groove where the kneecap rests on the femur. Suggs is anticipated to fully recover.
The Magic had previously stated that Suggs would require surgery and be sidelined indefinitely.
This news adds to the challenges faced by a Magic team plagued by injuries this season. All-Star Paolo Banchero and rising star Franz Wagner both missed substantial playing time earlier in the season due to oblique injuries.
Suggs has appeared in only 35 of Orlando’s 62 games, with just one game played since experiencing back spasms on Jan. 3 against the Toronto Raptors. He encountered knee discomfort during his back injury recovery, leading to further tests revealing the need for surgery.
Banchero and Wagner have since recovered from their injuries, and the Magic are still in contention for a playoff spot. Currently in eighth place in the Eastern Conference with a 29-33 record, they will face the remainder of the season without their starting point guard, who was having a standout season before his injuries.
Suggs has achieved career-high averages of 16.2 points, four rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.5 steals this season, establishing himself as one of the league’s top backcourt defenders. If the Magic reach the postseason, they will be at a significant disadvantage without Suggs in the lineup.