Magic To Waive Jonathan Isaac

Isaac has an $8MM guarantee on his $14.5MM salary for the upcoming season, so Orlando will save some money with the move, which had to be made by Sunday before the contract become fully guaranteed. He had $44MM left on the deal, including non-guaranteed seasons in 2027/28 and 2028/29, but those are wiped out now.

As we noted in our offseason preview for Front Office subscribers, the Magic have the option to stretch his $8MM in guaranteed money across seven years, reducing the annual cap hit to just $1.14MM. That would create significant immediate savings, but it would also make Isaac ineligible to sign a new deal with Orlando until his contract would have expired. If the Magic keep the $8MM payment on their books for the upcoming season, Isaac would have the option of returning on a new minimum-salary contract after he clears waivers.

Orlando appears to be leaning against the stretch option, according to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required). Once he clears waivers on Tuesday, Isaac will become an unrestricted free agent and can negotiate with any team in the league.

Isaac had a reduced role this season, appearing in 52 games and averaging 2.6 points and 2.5 rebounds in 10 minutes per night. He suffered a left knee sprain in mid-March that forced him to miss the final 17 games of the season and Orlando’s entire playoff series against Detroit.

Isaac, 28, was the longest-tenured member of the Magic after being selected with the sixth pick in the 2017 draft. He missed 2 1/2 seasons early in his career due to knee issues, including a left ACL tear, but was able to return at full strength in 2023/24 and received a few Sixth Man of the Year votes. Through renegotiation and extension, he received a five-year, $84MM deal that offseason.

Beede notes that Isaac added weight going into the 2024/25 season, as the team wanted him to spend more time at center. However, he said the extra weight made him feel sluggish and he wasn’t nearly as effective. He trimmed down prior to this season, but he wasn’t able to get back to the player he was earlier in his career. His scoring and rebounding numbers were his lowest since he entered the NBA, and he shot a career-worst 18.4% from three-point range.

Beede adds that Isaac entered the season with language in his contract that would have guaranteed his salary for 2026/27 if he played 52 games. However, he and the team agreed to amend that provision and create the June 28 deadline.

Parting with Isaac gives the Magic four standard contract openings, Beede notes, with second-round pick Izaiyah Nelson possibly in line for one of them.