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Report: Magic denied disabled-player exception for Jonathan Isaac

Jonathan Isaac

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 01: Jonathan Isaac #1 of the Orlando Magic handles the ball in front of Bradley Beal #3 of the Washington Wizards during the first half at Capital One Arena on January 1, 2020 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

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Good news for the Magic: An NBA-appointed doctor ruled Jonathan Isaac is not “substantially more likely than not” to be out through June 15.

Bad news for the Magic: They won’t get a disabled-player exception for Isaac.

Josh Robbins of The Athletic:

It was surprising the Magic even applied. On Jan. 2, they announced Isaac would be re-evaluated in two months with a knee injury.

This doesn’t mean Isaac will return this season. Orlando will almost certainly be eliminated long before June 15. The Magic could also be cautious with Isaac, a potential rising star.

But the heightened possibility of him returning raises questions ahead of the trade deadline: Will Orlando be more likely to deal its other big forward, Aaron Gordon? Will the Magic view this season as more promising and be more likely to trade for an immediate upgrade?

Still, Orlando (21-27) is headed toward a first-round loss. It’ll be difficult to become better or worse than that.