ORLANDO, Fla. -- Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left knee to remove a cartilage fragment, the team announced Sunday.
Although team officials said the timing of his return to the court will depend on how he responds to treatment following the surgery, it's fair to infer it's unlikely the 23-year-old guard will return before the Magic finish their regular season on April 13.
Suggs is expected to make a full recovery, team officials said.
An MRI on Friday revealed Suggs has a trochlea injury, prompting Suggs and the Magic to consult with physicians on the best course of treatment.
Speaking with reporters Saturday afternoon, Suggs left open the possibility that he'll be able to return before the end of the regular season. "My goal is to come back and play and help and impact as we get to the postseason and get into the playoffs," Suggs said then. "So, that's my goal. That's what I'm shooting for."
Suggs sustained the injury on Jan. 25 and has missed Orlando's last 14 games. The Magic have compiled a 5-9 record in that span, and the team's hopes of securing a top-six playoff berth -- and avoiding the Eastern Conference's Play-In Tournament -- have taken a severe hit during his absence.
With 21 games remaining on their regular-season schedule, the Magic entered Sunday in eighth place in the Eastern Conference standings, five games behind sixth-place Detroit Pistons. The Miami Heat lurk in seventh place, one-half game ahead of the Magic.
Orlando has dealt with an unusual number of injuries this season, especially to key players. Paolo Banchero missed 34 consecutive games because of a torn right oblique muscle. Franz Wagner missed 20 straight games because of his own torn right oblique muscle. Sixth man Moe Wagner suffered a season-ending ACL tear on Dec. 21. Suggs sat out 12 games before he suffered his knee injury.
Banchero, Wagner and Suggs have appeared together in only six games this season, with the team posting a 4-2 record in those contests.
In the 97 minutes the trio played simultaneously, Orlando outscored opponents by 8.1 points per 100 possessions, according to the NBA's data.
Magic officials initially labeled Suggs' injury as a quadriceps bruise, and Suggs revealed that he was close to clearing the final hurdles to return to play. But after a workout Tuesday, his knee swelled, and he felt discomfort. That prompted an MRI, which revealed the trochlea injury.
"My heart hurts for him," Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley said Saturday. "You feel for a young man that continues to work and (how) much a part of this team he is, how much he's needed. Him on his journey and what he's been through -- the ins, the outs, the ups, the downs -- those things, they hit the young man first more than it is about the basketball side of it."
Suggs is averaging 16.2 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists this season, but his absence has been felt most on the defensive end, where he is known as one of the NBA's most rugged perimeter defenders.
"I have my goal in mind," Suggs said Saturday. "I'm going to do all the work I can possible to hit that mark for myself but (also) for everybody here -- for the team, the coaches, for the fans. Really, before this season becomes a memory, I want us to leave our imprint on the year '24-25, and I think we can make a pretty good one. So, that's where my head's at."