Magic Forward Chuma Okeke Recovering From Knee Surgery; Return Soon?

Chuma Okeke has been out for the Orlando Magic since Nov. 21 with a knee injury. Could he come back soon?

Jeremy Brener | Jan 23, 2023

Magic Forward Chuma Okeke Recovering From Knee Surgery; Return Soon? /

Orlando Magic forward Chuma Okeke is continuing to recover from his knee surgery last month.

ESPN reported that Okeke would be out for "at least a month" on Dec. 20 after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee to "repair and reshape damaged cartilage in the joint."

Now, a month later, Okeke is listed as out with "left knee injury recovery" as opposed to "left knee surgery," as he had been. He's also beginning to get some on-court work done in practice, according to Khobi Price of the Orlando Sentinel.

The No. 16 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, Okeke started seven of his 18 games this season, averaging 5.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists over 21 minutes per contest.

There's no current timetable for his return, but the Magic will look to proceed with caution as the team continues to navigate this delicate injury.

“That’s the same knee he’s dealt with before,” coach Jamahl Mosley said on the injury back in November. “A part of this is being careful so things don’t get any worse. We want to stay cautious with our guys and make sure we try to get healthy bodies back.”

Given the fact that Jonathan Isaac, another defensive-minded power forward, is about to make his return tonight against the Boston Celtics, Okeke's role when he comes back could be limited, which might slow down the urgency in his return.

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Published Jan 23, 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.