Orlando, FL – The Orlando Magic announced that Magic guard Jalen Suggs will be out indefinitely after it was discovered that his knee injury was worse than initially thought.
The team released the following statement this afternoon on their X (formerly Twitter) account:
“After undergoing further evaluation, including an MRI, Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs has been diagnosed with a trochlea injury in his left knee, President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman has announced.
During his return to play activities, Suggs was experiencing discomfort, which led to additional evaluation and imaging.
Suggs will be out indefinitely, as a treatment plan is developed.
He is expected to make a full recovery.”
The trochlea is a groove where the kneecap sits at the lower end of the femur. An injury to the trochlea can result in pain, instability and other issues in the knee, according to knee specialist and orthopedic surgeon Dr. Robert LaPrade.
Among the treatment options for the injury are rest, physical therapy or arthroscopic surgery, all of which the Magic will consider as Suggs attempts to return.
Suggs has been limited to 35 games and is averaging 16.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists this season.
Joel Embiid Shut Down for the Season by Sixers
The Philadelphia 76ers announced on Friday that center Joel Embiid has been shut down for the remainder of the 2023-2024 NBA season.
Embiid will miss the rest of the season to focus on rehabilitating a knee injury. The team said that Embiid has been consulting with specialists and came to the decision after further evaluation.
The treatment plan and timeline are still to be determined. Philadelphia says that Embiid and his specialists will be focusing on Embiid’s “long-term health and performance.”
Following the Sixers’ loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Feb. 22, in which Embiid sat out for the entire fourth quarter, the team and its star center reportedly decided to consult doctors to explore “alternative options” for addressing the left knee while current treatments, including injections, had been ineffective.
