2021-2022 Post-Mortem: Jonathan Isaac

[Blue_and_Whte]

An elite defensive player with an improving offensive game. No reason to let him go at this point. Makes sense to give him one last attempt to show he can stay healthy. It’s really **** how injuries have derailed his career.

[tiderulz]

An elite defensive player with an improving offensive game. No reason to let him go at this point. Makes sense to give him one last attempt to show he can stay healthy. It’s really **** how injuries have derailed his career.

where did this "improving offensive game" come from?

[IllMagic04]

There certainly no way we should trade him.

If Orlando drafts Smith, Banchero, or Holmgren, the Magic is probably best served to move beyond his salary line. So trading him and either the Bulls or Nuggets pick for an expiring could be a good deal for Orlando.

If the Magic drafts a guard, then yeh, there is no harm in seeing what Isaac looks like alongside F-Wagner and Carter.


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I just don't agree with that. Id rather just put it on the floor and see what happens. We aren't going to win next year either anyway. If nothing else JI raises his value and then you consider moving him. I just don't see a team moving off cap space for a guy who hasn't played in 2 years

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[pepe1991]

He will come back and become instant 20 ppg, 15 rpb, 12 bpg, MIP;MVP; DPOY.
No doubt

i mean 2 years he was out ,he did nothing but basketball and shooting, he probably can't even miss now, even if he tries. I expect bunch of left legged half court buzzerbeaters. At least 7. During 82-0 season.
Ofc, since whole rehab was under mastermind who drafted GIannis and mastermind who... did something with Raptors ( mentor their bench players i guess? and was their waterboy for Ujiri , on paper GM for a year ? ) it means that isaac now developed into CyIsaac or isaacBorg , anyhow , it's a wrap.

This offseason, nevermind being 6th offseason in Futlz career is key. this offseason he goes into Cap America capluse and becomes SuperFultz. Curry who? Instant 65% for 3. At least. On 18 attemps a game. First player after Wilt to averge 50. But this one- by half time.





Fact that it's verge of playoffs of 2022 season, and Orlando fans talk about player who didn't play basketball since October of 2020, and in reality,before that, didn't play serious basketball since January of 2020 says all you need to know about player.

Two years without basketball. Whole lot of offcourt activities such is book & flirting with political marginal groups made of lunatics says a lot where he is at as player and how much he cares about his basketball career at this point.

Squeezing 50 games a year from 3 years left of a contract would be equivivalent of miracle. ofc, wont' happen, but would be.

[drsd]

There certainly no way we should trade him.

If Orlando drafts Smith, Banchero, or Holmgren, the Magic is probably best served to move beyond his salary line. So trading him and either the Bulls or Nuggets pick for an expiring could be a good deal for Orlando.

If the Magic drafts a guard, then yeh, there is no harm in seeing what Isaac looks like alongside F-Wagner and Carter.


..

I just don't agree with that. Id rather just put it on the floor and see what happens. We aren't going to win next year either anyway. If nothing else JI raises his value and then you consider moving him. I just don't see a team moving off cap space for a guy who hasn't played in 2 years

Your plan guarantees the high rookie will be a deep bench player. I do not think that is a foundation for future success.


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[RichCollab]

Let’s see what next year holds for JI no matter who we draft. I need a top 15 pick to even think about moving and no one is giving us that. It’s dead salary already.

My expectations are very low given the past couple of years.

[drsd]

.

This is the highlight of my day!



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[The Effect]

There certainly no way we should trade him. His value has to be low due to injuries. A team trading would probably want compensation for taking the risk. Lets just hope he can get back on the floor next year. He has defensive player of the year written all over him if he can get on the floor. Obviously Im not betting on him but we have no choice but to wait and see.

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Yeah we'd be selling low, but i think theres a better chance that his value bottoms out (cant play next year either and we use the rule in his contract to cut him) than him raising his value to what it was in back in say 2019

Id be fine attaching the denver pick with him if it got us into the top 10

So something like Isaac and denver pick to the spurs for their top 10 pick

leave the draft with Chet\Jabari and Mathurin\Agbaji........ the would be just as nice as suggs\wagner last year

[The Effect]

An elite defensive player with an improving offensive game. No reason to let him go at this point. Makes sense to give him one last attempt to show he can stay healthy. It’s really **** how injuries have derailed his career.

How many attempts to we have to give him to prove he can stay healthy?
Hes been in the league 6 years and has been injured in 5 of them, and only once ever playing more 34 games in a season
Sorry but the "give him one last attempt to showed he can stay healthy" option was over a LONGGG time ago

Also, improved offensive game? Based on what exactly?

[JTG_92940618]

"One thing to keep in mind is that there is no salary relief this season for Isaac unless the Magic are willing to waive him and stretch the guaranteed portion over the next seven seasons. However, because Isaac missed the entire season and failed to play at least 25 games this season, the guaranteed portion of his remaining contract has been reduced to $16 million in 2022-23, $7.4 million in 2023-24 and nothing in 2024-25."

https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/insider/story/_/id/33654275/nba-offseason-guide-2022-orlando-magic-their-ongoing-rebuild

I found this interesting about JIs contract status.

It's not the massive albatross some people think it is but I would happily pay him even if he just gets back to the player/defender that he was.

[anothermagicfan]

My vote is to start him at pf. That's only answering the poll question figuring that everyone is 100% healthy and fully conditioned.

Factoring in his health and conditioning and expectations of him being at least as good as he was prior to injury the simple fact is if he comes back and can play at that level it will definitely be on a minutes restriction and without back to backs.
So question then is- is it more important for him to be on the court at the beginning of the game or the end of the game. If you believe he's 1 of 5 you want playing at the end of the game can you start him and sit him for the second and third quarters to play him in the fourth? That's probably not the solution. He'd have to come off the bench to play at the end of the game.

That's a scenario with a lot of ifs.
If he's ready
If he's on a minutes restriction.
If he's as good or better than pre injury.
And if we're trying to win.

[yoyojw17]

Wow... some of you'll are pretty brutal.

As some have stated... i would be down to bring him along slowly and play everything by ear... and that includes even IF we get a big in the draft. IF he bounces back well after treatment and recovery and shows his old self + more... he's our starter during the season..

and at the end of the day ... having a healthy rotation is what we need. we start the best combination and IF having an excelling JI off the bench playing the 3,4, or 5 position is an option... AWESOME!

loved Mo wagner.. but i'd still rather have more talent ahead of him and Iggy.

Someone goes down... you slide an Isaac in... great! Insurance policies are just as valuable these days.

Let's just hope he comes back nice and healthy. and only time will tell.

[GameOver25]

I prefer keeping him and off the bench for now.

[basketballRob]

Isaac was injured when the Magic gave him the contract, so that is what they value him at currently.

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[Blue_and_Whte]

An elite defensive player with an improving offensive game. No reason to let him go at this point. Makes sense to give him one last attempt to show he can stay healthy. It’s really **** how injuries have derailed his career.

How many attempts to we have to give him to prove he can stay healthy?
Hes been in the league 6 years and has been injured in 5 of them, and only once ever playing more 34 games in a season
Sorry but the "give him one last attempt to showed he can stay healthy" option was over a LONGGG time ago

Also, improved offensive game? Based on what exactly?

it just seems kinda weird to be THIS adamant about moving him at this point since he’s not really hurting the team. He’s under contract, nobody’s signing here. Give him one last chance. It’s not THAT crazy of a concept. I’m assuming he has little value around the L based on his injury history..IDK… and really nobody here does but it’s a fair assumption.

His improving offensive game…. I mean he shot the ball a little better. I’m not saying he’s a world beater on offense.

[AdamTheGreek]

I wish we could trade him, but he has no value as nothing above a sweetener. Not until he’s playing regular season games again.

My theory is we kept him out all season mostly for tanking, but also to open the possibility of waiving him if/when he picks up another left knee-related injury (the hamstring doesn’t count towards the contract clause because it was a different leg) between now and opening night next season. Grim viewpoint, I know. Our front office seems more than willing to deal him away at the right price, but our ownership loves him. Challenging position to be in.

Even when if he’s back playing next season, he’s going to be probably coming off the bench on a minutes restriction. But I wouldn’t rely on JI for anything.

[Def Swami]

He'll for sure be coming off the bench on a minutes restriction. His trade value will never be lower. He's MKG after MKG got his extension. Just a lot of defensive potential owed several millions of dollars who can't stay healthy to realize it. Maybe they recoup some value by giving him spot minutes next year, but protect the asset by not letting him play more than 20 minutes per game. I also don't see how he fits as a starter if the Magic end up with any of Holmgren, Smith, Banchero, or even Murray. I have more belief in Bol Bol than Isaac at this point.

[cedric76]

Our Franchise player

[orthoman]

Does anyone have any updates on Isaac?

[bigdogdylan5]

You can’t trade him. I imagine the vast majority of teams will view him as a bad contract so we would have to give up stuff to get rid of him. You keep him and pretend he doesn’t exist for roster construction. If he gets healthy great it’s found money and we will deal with it. If he doesn’t then we ride out his contract. I mean if you can get a decent first rounder for him you do it but a team isn’t giving us that.