Chuma Okeke, the 16th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, has been rehabbing a torn ACL and will not sign his rookie-scale deal with the Orlando Magic until the 2020 offseason.

According to Shams Charania and Josh Robbins of The Athletic, Okeke will instead sign a G-League contract and play for the Magic’s affiliate in Lakeland this 2019-20 season. He will then sign his NBA rookie-scale contract during the 2020 offseason.

Okeke, a 21-year-old forward, will continue to rehabilitate his surgically repaired left knee under the supervision of the Magic’s sports medicine staff and will face no pressure to rush his recovery. Then, once his knee has healed fully, he should receive playing time in Lakeland and gain some valuable professional experience before the 2020 NBA Summer League.

Okeke played two seasons for Head Coach Bruce Pearl at Auburn, breaking out in his second season as the best player on a terrific Tigers team that ended up winning the SEC Tournament for only the second time in school history.

Per Sports Reference, Okeke put 12.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.2 blocks per game for Auburn in the 2018-19 season. It was an impressive array of statistics that led to his draft stock rising considerably throughout the predraft process.

Though many felt that No.16 for Okeke was something of a reach, the Magic’s front office clearly believes he’s worth a long-term investment — one that won’t begin fully until 2020.