NBA Trade Rumors: Magic PF Jonathan Isaac Leaving Orlando?

Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac has been swirling around in trade rumors as of late.

Jeremy Brener | Jun 18, 2023

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Orlando Magic

ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic has to figure out how much it wants to commit to Jonathan Isaac this summer.

With only $7.6 million guaranteed on his $17.4 million contract for the upcoming season, the Magic has reason to part ways with Isaac, either by cutting or trading him to a new team.

Isaac has played in just 45 games since the 2018-19 campaign, proving to not be the most reliable player. However, the Magic has been extremely patient, even giving him a contract extension months after tearing his ACL in 2020. But with the Magic in position to make a trade or two, Isaac might be a player Orlando would be willing to move on from.

"The Magic still hold out hope that Jonathan Isaac can be the same guy he was three years ago, but it's rare in the NBA that an oft-injured player like Isaac ever gets back to normal," Bleacher Report writes.

The Magic has potential to make a big splash on the trade market with a pair of lottery picks. If the team is using one or both of the picks to acquire an established star, there will have to be some money going to the other team in return. Isaac represents the player who makes the most out of the "expendables" in Orlando.

Ultimately, it's very hard to see the Magic move on from Isaac now after waiting all this time for him to come back. Isaac is on track to be healthy and ready for his first training camp since 2019, and Orlando may be able to finally reap the benefits of its patience.

However, if a deal comes along that the Magic cannot refuse, the team shouldn't let Isaac get in the way of accepting the trade.

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Published Jun 18, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.