Jonathan Isaac reportedly gained 31 lbs while gearing up for 2024-25 season with Magic

Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac has bulked up significantly, gaining 31 lbs as part of his offseason program. Along with the added muscle, Isaac stated that he's entering the 2024-25 season fully healthy after missing numerous games in the past four years.

Jonathan Isaac ended last season weighing 219 lbs, but after working on his body during the summer, he revealed he now weighs in at 250 lbs.

During media day, Isaac detailed the things he worked on during the offseason.

“[I continued] to work on the three ball. It’s been big for me this summer and putting on size as well. I put on a considerable amount of weight, so I'm looking forward to being on the court again,” he said (1:48:45 mark).

Last season, Isaac appeared in 58 games, his second-highest total in a single season. Over the previous four seasons, he had only played in 45 games combined, including missing the entire 2020-21 and 2022-23 seasons.

Isaac also achieved a career-high in 3-point shooting in seasons where he played more than 25 games, hitting 37.5% from deep with an average of 6.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game.

Magic coach Jamahl Mosley credits Jonathan Isaac's weight gain for his defensive improvement

Orlando Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said Jonathan Isaac’s weight gain had a noticeable impact on his performance in training camp, especially on defense.

According to Mosley, Isaac’s ability to defend all positions improved, especially guarding centers.

“Just being physically stronger, being able to bump and bang with 5’s, as well as sit down and guard guards,” Mosley said (per Fawzan Amer).

Isaac, with his 7-foot-1 wingspan, will remain a crucial part of the Magic’s defense, though he’s still expected to come off the bench behind Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero.

He played almost nine minutes in the Magic’s first preseason game on Monday, which resulted in a 106-104 loss. He tallied three points and two rebounds in the game, with his only field goal being a 3-pointer.

The Magic’s next preseason matchups are against the Spurs on Wednesday, the Pelicans on Friday and the Philadelphia 76ers on Oct. 18.

The Magic made the playoffs last year after tallying a 47-35 record in the regular season, good for fifth in the Eastern Conference. However, they lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games.

This offseason, their most significant addition was veteran shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who won championships with the LA Lakers in 2020 and the Denver Nuggets in 2023.