Jalen Suggs' injury update only leaves more questions ahead of camp

The Orlando Magic were finally hoping to be healthy in February. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner had started to find their rhythm again after their long injuries. They were still missing a key piece and he was nearing his return to the court.

Jalen Suggs was, in his words, a few games away from his return to the court. He was ramping up his recovery from the knee issue that knocked him out in early January. It felt like the Magic might soon be whole again and fulfill the vision they had from the beginning of the season.

There was still time to right the train.

But then Suggs said he heard a pop while doing two-on-two drills with coaches in his ramp-up. The Magic determined he had an injury to his trochlea, the cavity that the knee rests in. After spending some time evaluating his options, Suggs and the Magic opted for a mosaicplasty surgery to try to ensure that the issue did not recur.

Either way, that is a knee surgery. And those always take time to heal. Suggs would be spending his offseason rehabbing.

It is widely assumed Suggs will be ready to play before the season. It is widely assumed he will be ready for training camp when it opens next Tuesday. But nobody really knows his status -- outside of a few photos posted to the Magic's social media or any stray videos he might post.

Suggs' status is quietly going to be one of the big stories, considering how important he is to setting the tone on defense and how potentially important his 3-point shooting is.

And right now, Suggs' status for next week is a bit up in the air.

"I'm feeling really good," Suggs said on The Sixth Man Show on Monday. "The knee has been a process. I have loved the growth. I love all that this summer has had in store for me. This is definitely the hardest summer that I have had so far. . . .

"The knee is coming along. But really just getting to work on minute muscles and detailed parts of my body that have been overlooked. It's been great. Camp and return will come in His time. But the process is really good. I love the spot that we're in right now."

That is not exactly confirmation that Suggs is ready to go when the team begins camp next week. Suggs is on the court and working his way back. It may simply be a delayed start. But there is still work left to do.

This was not some simple knee surgery -- like an arthroscopic surgery, which is how the procedure was initially described. This was a far more involved and heavy surgery that the Magic did, hoping they could cut off any future problems now rather than go through more problems down the road.

It may simply take patience for Suggs to find his way all the back.

A difficult summer

Jalen Suggs described this summer as the most difficult offseason he has had so far, having to dive into the rehab process. He said he had never had a surgery this involved before. It was certainly a bit of an adjustment.

Especially considering all the natural energy Suggs has. Having to stay off his feet for a little bit was surely difficult.

The rehab process can be tedious and difficult. It is a constant pounding and celebrating small victories in the long road back. Suggs said he is still working on building strength and explosiveness.

That his injury was not well known or particularly common -- everyone had to look up what the trochlea is -- only added to the belief that this might be a quick thing and not a more involved process to return.

The goal of this surgery was always to try to prevent having to have the same issue again. This was a long-term investment in his body. Thus the consistent comment from Suggs that they did the surgery to clean the area up.

"The big part of getting the operation and cleaning it was so there was no looking back, there was no changing or moving patterns," Suggs said. "It was taking care of it the first time so when it is time to play instinctually, which I feel is part of my gift is moving and trusting those instincts, I can do it without a doubt. It has definitely been trying. "

While there is no sense of how far along Suggs is in the process, the hope is that he is closer to the end as the season is on the horizon.

Returning to the court

It is not all doom and gloom, even if there is no clear timetable -- the Orlando Magic do not give those anyway. It is not like Jalen Suggs is not back on the court.

Tuesday afternoon, the Magic posted a photo of Suggs working out in the AdventHealth Training Center.

But those photos, while encouraging -- he is noticeably not wearing any brace or padding on his knee -- do not suggest whether he is playing under contact or going full 5-on-5 yet. That will be a question Jeff Weltman and Jalen Suggs will need to answer at media day next week.

Suggs credited this summer for helping him slow down and find the right speed for his recovery. He said his body feels good and that he has been able to work on other parts to be ready for the season.

Health is the most important thing for Suggs at this point. That has been the story of his career. He played only 35 games last year and has cleared 50 games just twice in his four-year career -- he has hit 70 just once in 2024.

Orlando is right to invest more heavily in his long-term health even if it costs the team a bit at the start of camp.

There clearly are no long-term concerns for Suggs. He will return to the court sooner than later, even if it is not at the beginning of camp.

But for now, everyone is in the dark on Suggs' exact status. Everyone is eager to see when Suggs makes his full return.