Philadelphia 76ers shouldn’t be in rush to trade Markelle Fultz

The Philadelphia 76ers should maintain patience with Markelle Fultz, even if it carries significant risk.

Once considered the missing piece, there’s no clear path forward for Markelle Fultz. The former No. 1 pick is rehabbing Thoracic Outlet Syndrome away from the team, addressing a shoulder issue that continues to affect his shooting mechanics.

The resulting uncertainty doesn’t bode well for Fultz’s standing with the Philadelphia 76ers, a team looking to compete in the Eastern Conference. The Sixers swung the championship window open by trading for Jimmy Butler. Fultz, at the moment, doesn’t help them win games.

Even with little to guarantee Fultz turns into a passable — much less useful — NBA player, the Sixers should continue to preach patience. He’s a 20-year-old with tremendous skill, athleticism and natural talent. His circumstances just aren’t great.

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If Fultz can figure things out off the court and address the shoulder issue, his upside remains tantalizing. The lack of precedent makes comfortably predicting success almost impossible, but Fultz was the top pick for a reason.

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey, ownership currently has mixed feelings on trading Fultz. The trade market opened up on Dec. 15, with players who signed contracts over the summer now eligible to be dealt.

Pompey also notes the Sixers expect a quality first-round pick in return for Fultz. Given the presumably short list of teams interested in Fultz, the Sixers will probably hold onto Fultz until there’s more clarity regarding his health situation.

The Sixers need to consider the current roster when deciding Fultz’s fate. Joel Embiid, Jimmy Butler and Ben Simmons is a championship core. Outside the main trio, however, the Sixers lack championship-caliber pieces.

J.J. Redick remains valuable on offense, but his defense continues to regress. He will struggle to survive against Boston or Toronto in the playoffs. The same can be said for the entire bench, with Mike Muscala, Landry Shamet, T.J. McConnell and Furkan Korkmaz all boasting serious deficiencies on the defense.

To an extent, Fultz makes the most sense out of that entire group in a playoff environment. He’s still a work in progress, but his physical tools yield promising moments on defense. If he’s even remotely reliable on the perimeter, his whole game changes.

In short, the Sixers aren’t winning the East as currently constructed. It would take at least one or two needle-moving trades (or free agent signings) to put them in the same class as Toronto and Boston.

The chances Fultz nets a “needle-moving” return are slim. His value continues to drop the longer he sits out. It’s doubtful a team, rebuilding or not, will sacrifice a high first-round pick for someone with as many unanswered questions as Markelle.

Cap space might be the best argument for trading Fultz. He’s due almost $10 million next season, which is a hefty price for a team in need of depth. Next summer, the Sixers can clear around $20 million in cap space with Fultz on the roster. That number expands to near-max money if Fultz comes off the books.

That would allow the Sixers to sign multiple reserves or chase another star-caliber player, depending on how the free agent market pans out. The Sixers don’t need to make a decision now, though. Fultz can still get moved in the offseason.

Assuming the Sixers don’t get an irresistible offer before the Feb. 15 trade deadline, hanging onto Fultz makes the most sense. If more cap space is needed, you can trade him in the summer. In the worst-case scenario, Fultz can be waived and stretched for a mere $3.3 million cap hit.

Let Fultz continue to rehab in peace. Make efforts to clean up the situation off the court, allow him to get right physically, and see what he can offer later in the season. McConnell isn’t exactly a positive influence every night. There’s still room for Fultz to earn playing time.

I’ve wavered back and forth on the idea for some time now. The Sixers are in win-now mode, and rightfully so. If a legitimate needle-moving trade becomes available, take it — the title window won’t last forever.

Unless that happens, though, keep Fultz and play the long game. See if the former consensus No. 1 pick can recoup some value before selling low and adding another one-year stopgap.