It’s known by almost every NBA follower that Markelle Fultz has suffered through a multitude of mysterious shoulder/arm injuries. The most recent events involving Fultz have put his future with the Philadelphia 76ers in question.
When Markelle Fultz‘s agent Raymond Brothers came out of nowhere and told the media and the Philadelphia 76ers that Markelle Fultz would be held out at least a week for shoulder concerns, it struck everyone by surprise. Not only were fans surprised, but the Sixers’ front office — including GM Elton Brand — was shocked to hear about it.
You didn’t need to look too hard to see that Elton Brand was not happy when asked about the decision, as it seems like the team and Raymond Brothers are not on the same page.
The number one pick of the 2017 NBA Draft has become known as a saga of events, and not for the right reasons. Over the past years we saw his coveted jumper disappear, a myriad of random injuries arise out of nowhere, and a case of the “yips” develop mentally.
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All of those things have added up, and that’s why there has been countless report after report about the Sixers shopping Fultz, including him in trade proposals, and not being in the team’s long-term plans.
So what should you think of these reports? Are they true? What should you expect to see happen over the next few weeks?
These are all questions that are completely valid. Going forward the future doesn’t look very promising in terms of Markelle Fultz and being on the 76ers.
Trading for Jimmy Butler has put the team in complete “win-now” mode, and Markelle Fultz’s timeline does not fit. While Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid are still developing, they are able to contribute right now. Markelle Fultz is at least a few years from being a quality starter.
Butler is already 29, and in the middle of his prime. The Philadelphia 76ers will not want to waste this window, and will try to do everything to add talent to help the team make a deep playoff run.
All of this means one thing: Markelle Fultz’s development is no longer a top priority for the team, and that’s likely not to change.
Moving on from Markelle Fultz will be a very difficult task. He has gone through one of the weirdest situations in NBA history, and nobody really understands what is wrong. Overall, it plummets his trade value.
Gauging Markelle Fultz’s value in a trade is nearly impossible to do. His value can greatly range from team to team. Some teams may even demand compensation for taking on the headache that Markelle Fultz and his camp have become.
For instance, the Cavs would probably do a Fultz for Korver swap with little hesitation. If the Sixers did a deal like this straight up, you would be trading away a 20-year-old with massive potential for a 37-year-old role player. On paper, that’s not great.
Trading him has countless possibilities that could play out, but the Sixers will look to get some form of compensation for him. It’s safe to say that Elton Brand would wait for a deal that makes sense.
There is still is a chance that the team will hang onto Fultz into the short-term, but the chances of that are very slim. With a big three of Jimmy Butler, Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, you need as much shooting as you can get. Unfortunately, that is Fultz’s biggest weakness as of now. This very well might be enough for them to move on without him.
It’s both sad and unfortunate that the situation has gotten to this point. There has been countless mishandling with both sides; Raymond Brothers/Fultz’s camp and the old front office led by Bryan Colangelo.
If I had to make a prediction I would say Markelle Fultz won’t be a Sixer for much longer. The sooner that the Philadelphia 76ers solve this situation, the sooner they can fully focus on the exciting future. A future with All-Star Jimmy Butler, Joel Embiid’s MVP campaign, and Ben Simmons development.
For better or worse, this situation will ultimately come to an end. Each respected side will go forward with their own aspirations and goals. Overall, expect the Markelle Fultz era in Philadelphia to come to a close.