​Like many young basketball players, Izaiyah Nelson dreamed of someday making it to the NBA. The twist for him was that the opportunity to play for a franchise in the same city where his great-grandmother lived and where he visited often during childhood seemed almost destined. Not even Nelson could have predicted this turn of events. “It was very emotional,” he recently said about being drafted No. 51 overall by the Orlando Magic last month. “Having them pick me and coming here as a kid who grew up around this place, it’s like, ‘Wow, I’m actually going to play for the Orlando Magic.’ I never thought this dream would come true.” The 6-foot-10 forward is set to represent the Magic for the first time this week at Summer League in Las Vegas, with Orlando kicking off Thursday night against the Charlotte Hornets.
Magic Summer League coach DJ Bakker recently highlighted what stands out about Nelson, who finished his college career at the University of South Florida in Tampa. “First of all, his competitiveness and his motor are off the charts,” Bakker said. “He’s always talking, always asking questions, and he has great eye contact. He’s a superb screener and he loves physicality. When a player has that kind of makeup and DNA, you feel confident heading into battle with him.” Like all rookies, Nelson is still learning terminology and the nuances of style-of-play, but Bakker has been impressed with him as a person and with his inherent makeup as a player.
During his lone season at USF, Nelson helped the Bulls men’s basketball program return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012. He earned the titles of American Athletic Conference Player of the Year, AAC Defensive Player of the Year, and AAC Newcomer of the Year after transferring from Arkansas State. Those accolades didn’t come by accident. The Marietta, Georgia native prides himself on his work ethic, a trait that repeatedly came up during draft coverage. “I take a lot of pride in it because in basketball, you have to work,” Nelson explained. “If you’re not working, you don’t love the game. And one thing about me, I love basketball. I’m going to do anything to keep playing basketball for the rest of my life.”
That same commitment will be essential as he pursues a longer professional career, because Nelson signed a two-year, two-way contract with the Magic—a common arrangement for players selected in the later rounds of the draft. Nelson joins center Colin Castleton and forward Alex Morales as Orlando’s three two-way players. On a two-way deal, players shuttle between the NBA and the G League, and they’re limited to appearing in 50 NBA games and ineligible for playoff participation. That constraint only fuels Nelson’s drive to secure a standard NBA contract in the future and to prove he belongs at the highest level. “This is a path that’s still leading toward one thing—a regular NBA contract—and I’m going to do everything I can to get there,” Nelson said, underscoring his determination to maximize every opportunity and continue proving his worth at the sport’s highest level.