Jalen Suggs Doesn't Return for Magic vs. Wizards Because of Ankle Injury

The Orlando Magic announced that rookie guard Jalen Suggs suffered a right ankle sprain in the fourth quarter of his team's 104-92 loss to the Washington Wizards on Saturday.

Suggs had eight points in 24 minutes before exiting with 11:27 left in regulation. Cole Anthony subbed in for Suggs.

The 20-year-old Minnesota native joined the Magic as the fifth overall pick in the 2021 draft after a standout freshman season at Gonzaga that earned him consensus All-American honors. The former 5-star prospect averaged 14.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 30 games with the Zags.

He entered Saturday averaging 11.6 points, 3.6 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game during his debut campaign in the NBA.

Suggs made his first appearance for Orlando in the Las Vegas Summer League, but the team opted to play it safe by ruling him out for the remainder of the tournament after three games because of a thumb injury.

R.J. Hampton is the primary backcourt reserve who should see an uptick in playing time whenever Suggs is sidelined throughout the 2020-21 season.

Suggs is one of the foundational pieces of the Magic's future and should play a prominent role once he returns to full strength. The team has enough depth to make up for a short-term absence, though.