Philadelphia 76ers mailbag: Jimmy Butler, Markelle Fultz and the future

Any updates on Markelle Fultz’s rehab?

According to Philly Front Office, there was going to be an update on Markelle Fultz Wednesday. It’s Friday.

Knowing the Sixers’ penchant for odd and conveniently-timed updates, there’s a good chance the Fultz news breaks sometime around 4:40 E.T. on Sunday. On a slightly more serious note, it’s not unreasonable to assume the reported timeline just doesn’t match reality.

At some point, the Sixers will drop insight on Fultz’s condition. He remains an important part of the team’s long-term plans, even if his value is somewhat enigmatic. If the 20-year-old can regain proper function in his shoulder, the Sixers’ trajectory changes quite a bit.

Given the nature of Fultz’s injury, there isn’t much precedent to lean on. We know Landry Fields‘ career was cut short by nerve issues, but the parallels to Fultz’s situation are unknown. If physical therapy does work, there’s no definitive timeline on how long Fultz’s jumper needs to recover.

It would be wise to avoid lofty hopes in the 2018-19 season. Even if Fultz returns with less shoulder pain, he’s been shooting with different — often wonky — mechanics for over a year now. He won’t just splash threes upon his return, it will take patience. It might even take another summer.