ORLANDO – Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs underwent surgery last week to address a slight stress fracture in his right ankle, President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman announced on Monday.
He is expected to resume basketball activities this summer and make a full recovery for the start of training camp.
“In assessing Jalen’s right ankle at the conclusion of the season, and consulting with multiple doctors, we came to the determination to undergo this preventative measure,” said Weltman. “We feel by addressing this now Jalen can still have a productive summer leading into training camp.”
The 6-foot-5 guard showed flashes of becoming a high-end two-way player during his rookie campaign. Among first-year players who registered at least 10 games, he finished ninth in points (11.8), third in assists (4.4), and third in steals (1.2) per contest. Along with teammates Franz Wagner and Cole Anthony, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft was named to All-Star Weekend’s Rising Stars Game.
The Gonzaga alum also possessed the third-best defensive field goal percentage (43.5 percent) among all rookies who were the closest defender to at least 200 shots this season. He played in a total of 48 games, missing a 20-game stretch in the first half of the season with a fractured thumb, and then later in the season, missing additional time due to a right ankle bone bruise.
“The biggest growth for me came from my mindset,” Suggs said in his wrap-up interview. “The way I began to approach each day, the way I took advantage of each day, and constantly learned. Basketball has up and downs, I had my high moments, I had my low moments, but I had to go through all that to really understand who I was (and) really get some footing in this league. I wouldn’t trade, or go back, or do anything different because I needed this year. Looking forward, I’m just excited to get back, get to work this summer, and show everybody who I am next year and who we are as an organization.”