LAS VEGAS — Orlando Magic two-way forward Izaiyah Nelson will undergo surgery after imaging revealed a fracture in his left ankle sustained during the team’s summer league overtime victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.
Nelson, a rookie out of the University of South Florida, suffered the injury in the first half while hustling back in transition to block a shot attempt — the kind of relentless play that had already made him a standout in Las Vegas. The Magic said he is expected to return to basketball activities in three-to-four months, a timeline that would sideline him well into the fall.
“He has a very impressive motor,” Magic summer league coach D.J. Bakker said recently. “He likes to fight and he likes to (use) his physicality. He understands what his role is on both sides of the floor.”
Bakker had singled out Nelson’s defensive impact before the injury. “He had great rim protection, not good rim protection, great rim protection,” Bakker said. “He does a great job of running the floor and screening as well.”
The loss is a setback for a young player who appeared poised to compete for minutes on his two-way contract. Bakker described Nelson as coachable and engaged from the start. “He’s a competitor … Great eye contact, great engagement, and very coachable,” Bakker said. “First impressions with him have been very impressive.”
Nelson’s surgery date and specific recovery timeline have not yet been announced by the Magic.