The Orlando Magic are in all likelihood going to be without Jalen Suggs when the 2025-26 season tips off next week. What that means is that they should be using this situation as an opportunity to get the rookie Jase Richardson as much playing time as possible.
Suggs is of course the heart and soul of the Magic. It's not going to be easy to get off to a good start without him, but that's seemingly exactly what Orlando is going to have to do. The most recent update we got a couple of days ago from Jamahl Mosley was that Jalen had begun to engage in three-on-three games with some level of contact.
That's a good sign for his progression, but it's not exactly indicative of him being ready to play in just a few short days. In the interim, others on the roster are going to have to step up to fill the void left behind by Suggs. I'm not sure there's a more obvious candidate to see increased opportunity than Richardson.
I don’t think you could brew up a better landing spot for either side than the Magic drafting Jase Richardson
The Magic have needed shooting for a long, long time, and Jase, despite his size, thrives playing off-ball as a floor-spacer and play finisher (but don’t sleep on his… pic.twitter.com/A1ffVqnLEI
— Point Made Basketball (@pointmadebball) October 10, 2025
The Magic should see how ready Jase Richardson is with Suggs out
In the limited amount of time we have been able to see him on the court in preseason, Richardson has impressed greatly. He's already flashed some truly impressive skills that indicate he's going to be far more than just a role player in Orlando in due time. Magic fans have been wildly impressed with his skillset, even despite the fact that he doesn't bring an overabundance of size to the table at just six-foot.
Jase is a player whose offensive game flows very naturally. He is a knockdown shooter who can pull up from long distance and already has impressive playmaking chops as well. Richardson is an elite athlete, and that shows up as much in his defensive quickness as it does in his body control on offense, where he will often take the right shot rather than force a more difficult one like other rookies might do.
His fit with this team is rather incredible because his refined offensive skills are exactly what the Magic have been needing in recent years. Conventional wisdom would say that his lack of size while playing on a roster primed for a playoff berth would leave him on the outside in looking for a heavy role in his rookie season. But considering Suggs' injury, this could be the perfect opportunity for the youngster to prove that he not only belongs, but that he can make a meaningful impact in Orlando from the start.