The Orlando Magic have been busy on this contract extension deadline Monday, first inking Markelle Fultz to a three-year, $50 million extension to keep the former top-overall pick in Orlando through 2024 as their starting point guard. They followed that up by knocking out an extension for their budding defensive star, Jonathan Isaac, who will likely miss all of the 2020-21 season with a torn ACL, but has shown flashes of being one of the league’s elite defenders.
Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Isaac agreed to a four-year, $80 million extension that will keep him in Orlando through the 2025 season.
Jonathan Isaac has agreed to a four-year, $80M extension with the Orlando Magic, his agent Jeff Wechsler tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 21, 2020
If Isaac returns to his pre-injury form next season and continues developing as a two-way player this contract could very well become a steal for the Magic. As for Isaac, he gets some long-term financial security despite his torn ACL, and if he can play above value on this deal he figures to be in for a major payday in 2025 as he’s entering his prime years.
Isaac averaged 11.9 points and 6.8 rebounds per game in 2019-20 over 34 games, but his impact defensively is where he shines best. He put up 2.3 blocks and 1.6 steals per game last season and his length and versatility makes him exceptionally valuable in the modern NBA — and in an Eastern Conference where Giannis Antetokounmpo will be the top dog for the foreseeable future, it’s even more important.