Orlando Magic hoping Suggs can play at Lakers, lift team going forward

Orlando Magic point guard Jalen Suggs has been solid when he’s been able to remain in the lineup, but his availability has unfortunately been inconsistent in 2025-26.

Suggs, still only 24 until June, is in his fifth season and has shown off a more mature game when he’s been out there following knee surgery less than a year ago. The Magic opened the season with Suggs on a minutes restriction, keeping him out of back-to-back situations, but the hope was that he’d be playing normally by now.

Instead, Suggs could possibly miss his 23rd game of the season against the Lakers on Tuesday, having played only once on this four-game Western swing just after the All-Star break. Back spasms have kept him out of games against the Suns and Clippers, but he’s listed as questionable for this visit to Staples Center to wrap up the trip.

Although back spasms have been listed as the reason for his absence, the Magic altered the description of his injury to a back strain on Monday night. He played 20 minutes in the 131-94 blowout of Sacramento on Thursday, hitting three 3-pointers and adding three rebounds and three assists.

The Magic ruled him out just before the double-OT win over the Suns on Saturday, didn’t play him against the Clippers on Sunday and have to see whether not being forced to travel out of the L.A. area will aid the cause in getting him back. The team will fly back to Orlando post-game but won’t take the floor again until Thursday, welcoming the Houston Rockets into Kia Center for the first home following the All-Star break. That game is listed among the five most important games for Orlando going forward.

Suggs has played in 34 of a possible 56 games this season. All his appearances have come in starts, and he’s averaging 13.9 points and career-bests of 4.0 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.9 steals. Because of the playing time restrictions, Suggs is averaging just 26.5 minutes per game, second-lowest of his career and below what he averaged as a rookie.

Suggs' strong February lifts Magic chances of avoiding play-in

The No. 5 pick in the 2021 draft, Suggs has been an asset at both ends of the floor and has been missed when he’s been unable to suit up. The Gonzaga product has been absent for games in every month, sitting out extended periods in December due to a hip issue and in January due to a knee injury that cost him eight games.

Suggs made a full recovery following the MCL contusion and played a season-high 34:54 in a 116-108 loss against the Bucks on Feb. 11, registering 16 points and 10 assists for his second double-double. He went for 15 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in putting together his only triple-double on Feb. 5 in a blowout of Brooklyn.

Suggs’ 7.4 assists, 4.9 rebounds, 2.6 steals and 1.7 blocks in February all represent his best averages for any given month, and he’s shot 38.3 percent from 3-point range (18-for-47). If he can overcome this back trouble and put together a strong March, Orlando could be well-positioned to make a run at a top-six seed in order to avoid being stuck in the play-in.

The Southeast Division-leading Magic enter Tuesday’s game with the Lakers a half-game behind Philadelphia 76ers for the No. 6 seed and even with the eighth-seeded Miami Heat on win percentage, owning a 4-0 head-to-head edge.