ORLANDO, Fla. -- Orlando Magic rookie Izaiyah Nelson said Monday that he is recovering well from a left ankle fracture suffered in the NBA Summer League.
Nelson suffered the injury in his third game with the Magic on July 12 when he landed awkwardly on a teammate after blocking a shot attempt. The team said Nelson would undergo surgery and miss at least 3-4 months from the time of the injury.
The 51st overall pick out of South Florida recently returned to the court for individual work and is now "moving around a little bit," but he has not been cleared for live action yet, leaving him sidelined for the start of training camp on Tuesday.
"Izaiyah, obviously, suffered a tough injury in summer league," Magic president Jeff Weltman said. "He is a world-class
worker. ... He has not done anything live yet. I would say he's still probably a month or so away from that, and then we'll start the clock ticking on a timeline at that point. He is still working on his basic stuff before he gets back to live action."
Here is today’s (9/28) interview session with @OrlandoMagic two-way center @IzaiyahN https://t.co/KpqmBtwtBT
— Orlando Magic PR (@Magic_PR) September 28, 2026
Nelson was the American Conference Player of the Year last season, averaging 15.9 points, 9.6 rebounds, 1.6 steals, 1.4 blocks and 1.2 assists. He was also the Defensive Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year, becoming the first player to win each award in the same season.
The 6-foot-10 Nelson has had a positive outlook on the injury, which has allowed him to make the most of his rehabilitation with the team. He said the process is going amazingly and enabled some self-reflection over the offseason.
"I broke my foot my junior year, so when the injury came, I really wasn't fazed by it," Nelson said. "I was actually more happy because it's just like I take everything as something that God had planned for me, so when it happened, I was just like, 'All right. There is something I need to know and what I need to do to be better.'"
Nelson, who signed a two-way contract on July 1, became the ninth Bull to be selected in the NBA draft and the first since Dominique Jones in 2010. He ranked ninth in the country in double-doubles (18) and 15th in total rebounds (326) last season.
The soon-to-be 23-year-old was highly touted in the draft because of his scoring, rebounding, motor and intensity on the court. He is eager to eventually showcase those abilities and is grateful the team is supporting him following his setback.
"I would say what has (allowed) me to stay positive is my family and the Orlando Magic organization," Nelson said. "Since the injury happened, everybody came up to me, saying, 'Hey, you've got this! Stay up. We're going to be here for you.' Having that support and having the community from USF and the Orlando Magic support me, all I can do is be grateful for that."
This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: Magic rookie Izaiyah Nelson opens up about recovery from ankle injury
