Philadelphia 76ers should listen to trade offers for Markelle Fultz

The Philadelphia 76ers should consider listening to trade offers for the former first overall pick who’s been having a rough go as of late.

There has been a lot of health issues surrounding Philadelphia 76ers rookies in the past, however the most bizarre and long lasting of those cases has been Markelle Fultz. Although he is in his second season with the team, his issues began before and during his rookie campaign. Matt Mullin of Philly Voice, did a wonderful job putting a timeline together of all issues that Fultz has been dealing with.

Mullin’s timeline was long and detailed, with no end in sight now with The Athletics’ David Aldridge’s tweet explaining that the point guard will see a shoulder specialist per the request of his agent. Regardless of the outcome of Fultz’s appointment, it doesn’t look like any good will come from it for either Fultz or the Sixers.

With at least a bleak short term future for both the club and player, Philly has to consider all options in handling Fultz. One, albeit unpopular option, would be to start listening to trade offers for the former first overall pick. It should be noted that I’m not advocating that the Sixers should be actively trying to trade the point guard, but if a good deal comes along, general manger (GM) Elton Brand shouldn’t dismiss it.

Before reviewing the pros and cons of listening to trade offers, it should be noted that recently there have been conflicting reports about Markelle Fultz wanting to be traded. Shams Charania and Derek Bonder, along with other writers from The Athletic have reported that Fultz wants to be traded. It should be noted that Spike Eskin of the Rights to Ricky Sanchez Podcast tweeted that according to Bonder, it wasn’t Fultz that wanted a trade but the idea came from his camp.

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Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN also reported that Fultz’s agent’s primary focus is his health and hasn’t given any indication to anyone that his client wants to be traded. Despite what comes of these reports, they are alarming and are one reason why the Sixers should consider listening for offers for the point guard.

When considering any Fultz based trade, there’s several things to consider. First and foremost, there isn’t a real good way to gauge his trade value. His injury history and his current state are big devalues to his value on the market. However, his potential when he’s 100 percent right can’t be ignored either.

The teams that would value Fultz the most are rebuilding teams that are in need of a playmaker that can push the ball in transition and impact other areas outside of scoring. Teams that fit that description include: the Orlando Magic, New York Knicks and Phoenix Suns. Those teams may end up being the best place for him to thrive as well, but the Sixers should only do a deal if they can get a great value in return.

The problem for the Sixers is that getting equal value for Fultz will be next to impossible. Getting better or equal on the court production shouldn’t be a big issue. However, recuperating his value as a first overall pick that the franchise traded a lightly protected first round pick for will be an extremely hard task for the rookie GM to accomplish.

Regardless of the outcome of Fultz’s visits with the specialist, the Sixers should at least listen to trade offers for the point guard. It’s clear with the Jimmy Butler trade, moving him to a backup role and head coach Brett Brown not committing to Fultz after benching him in favor of T.J. McConnell, that the Sixers aren’t prioritizing his development any longer.

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It’s fine that they aren’t focused on his growth either, because they have a legit chance win an NBA title with the current core of Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, J.J. Redick and Butler. While Fultz’s development isn’t the number priority of the Sixers any more, it doesn’t mean that the club should give up on him on all together. Listening to offers doesn’t mean that Philly has completely given up on Fultz.

If Fultz can overcome whatever is ailing him and his jump shot, then he can become a solid piece for the Sixers down the line. Especially when Butler and Redick start to decline in a few seasons. However it appears that at this point, it won’t be this season that Fultz’s problems will be fixed.

With that in mind and as previously stated, the Sixers are hunting a championship now and if they can get returns from a Fultz deal that can benefit that hunt now, as well as future title runs, then the franchise should at least listen to said offers.

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Listening to trade offers for Fultz would be smart on the Philadelphia 76ers side. They could get a good idea of what his trade value would be and if there’s a deal too good to pass up, then they should pull the trigger.

With that in mind, listening to offers and actively looking to trade a player are two completely different things. At this point it would be unwise of the Sixers to look trade Fultz, but listening to offers could be in the best interest for both the club and the point guard.