Isaiah Briscoe suffered from the worst timing, his future more uncertain now

Isaiah Briscoe worked his way into the Orlando Magic’s future. An injury knocked him out and has him off the roster with an uncertain NBA future.

Isaiah Briscoe helped turn the Orlando Magic’s season around. From the time he entered the rotation on Jan. 7, the team’s season turned almost completely around.

Isaiah Briscoe came from the humblest of backgrounds — lost in the shuffle of freshman with the Kentucky Wildcats to scratching and clawing his way through a league in Estonia to getting a contract out of a Summer League minicamp — and had found his way to make a real impact for the team.

He endeared himself to Magic fans with his energy and willingness to defend first and foremost. He was not the fastest player or the biggest, but he was a constant pest. Off the bench, he used his fouls liberally.

And while Briscoe was not creating a ton of statistics, he played at a faster pace and forced the issue more off the dribble. Like he was a wrecking ball on defense, he was willing to mix things up offensive and drive into the basket.

Briscoe proved to be a fantastic find. Someone who was so far off the NBA radar but still could contribute to a winning team. The Magic were better once he got up to NBA speed and he made a big difference for the team.

Timing though is terrible. Circumstance is terrible. And Briscoe suffered from the absolute worst timing.

He tore his meniscus in his right knee and required surgery to repair it. The timetable for his return would leave him out for at least the rest of the regular season. The playoffs were iffy.

The Magic had to move on. Finding Michael Carter-Williams off the NBA scrap heap was another major find. Like Isaiah Briscoe, Michael Carter-Williams was able to change the team with his pace and ability to get into the lane even without scoring.

Orlando continued its surge and finds itself in the pole position for the playoffs with three games to go.

That led to more unfortunate timing. The Magic had to use an injury exception to sign Carter-Williams. To make him playoff eligible, someone on the roster had to lose his spot.

That turned out to be Briscoe.

The Magic officially cut him from the roster — waiving the remaining two years (both nonguaranteed) on his contract and some measure of control over a player who proved a lot of value to the team this year. He was the victim of circumstance and bad luck more than anything else. The Magic lost a big part of their success.

The going logic was the Magic wanted at least three point guards eligible to play when the playoffs begin. Cutting Jerian Grant might have made more sense otherwise since Grant is not likely to return to the team in free agency this summer.

Briscoe is probably not going to be ready to play when the playoffs begin. And so the Magic were forced into this tough choice.

Indications are the Magic would be open to bringing him back. Keith Smith of Yahoo! Sports reports the Magic would like to bring Briscoe back this summer.

The Magic would be able to re-sign Briscoe once the new calendar begins. But they would have to fit him under their cap. And it feels like he should be able to fetch more than a minimum with the way he played.

It is unclear just how genuine this feeling is. The Magic are clearly a bit upset they have to part with such a valuable player. But the short-term needs of the playoff chase are what they are. And Briscoe was a victim of it.

Briscoe will just have to prove himself all over again.  And coming off an injury to boot.

When Briscoe does return the Magic’s point guard situation may look a whole lot different too. The Magic might be able to say in early April they would like to keep Briscoe or bring him back. Whether there is an actual spot for him — or whether Briscoe might not find something better — is a different story.

The Magic will still have D.J. Augustin next year. It is not clear whether Carter-Williams signed for the rest of the season or a multi-year deal. And Markelle Fultz is waiting in the wings continuing his rehab.

Briscoe was a really nice player this year. He has earned a space in the NBA, whether it is with the Magic or not.

But an injury to a player that is on the fringes of the NBA can be a huge setback. The difference between being in the NBA and being out of the NBA is a very fine line. Briscoe will walk that fine line again, even if the Magic are willing to give him another opportunity this summer.

For now, Orlando is moving forward. They have their point guards set for their playoff run. And unfortunately, Briscoe was left off through no fault of his own.