Philadelphia 76ers: The mishandling of Markelle Fultz

It looks like the Markelle Fultz era has come to an abrupt end for the Philadelphia 76ers and things couldn’t have gone any worse for both sides.

The Philadelphia 76ers‘ relationship with Markelle Fultz seems to be coming to an abrupt end. After the rumor mill swirled for the past few weeks, the latest reports have stated Fultz is no longer part of the team’s long-term plans and the Sixers will seek a trade for him.

For what it’s worth, the team rushed things a bit with Fultz in his return this year. In 2017-18, they held him back a bit, allowing him to come off the bench and develop at his own pace. In total, he appeared in just 14 games last season.

This season, it seemed all the pressure was on him to perform, especially by inserting him into the starting lineup to start the season. So much has been said about Fultz’s health and on Tuesday, it was announced he would sit out until he sees a shoulder specialist early next week. Then on Wednesday, it was reported he was also dealing with a wrist injury.

Thirteen months in, things just haven’t seemed to go as planned with Fultz and the Sixers. The biggest mystery has been his shoulder injury and how it came about, triggering different shooting forms on the court and at the free throw line.

In his most recent routine, Fultz juggles the ball up to the front of his face before releasing it at the peak for his shot. If he isn’t healthy, sitting him down until he’s healthy is their best bet, but that hasn’t been the case this season. The team has said he’s healthy. His agent, Raymond Brothers, says he’s not.

With Ben Simmons on the floor with Fultz, the duo is generating an offensive rating of 96.4 and a defensive rating of 100.0. With backup veteran guard J.J. Redick in the lineup with Simmons, the duo is producing an offensive rating of 107.3 and a defensive rating of 103.4. It’s safe to say there’s a whole lot more happening with Redick on the floor with Simmons than with Fultz.

The Sixers have also traded for Jimmy Butler, sending Robert Covington and Dario Saric to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Adding Butler has given them another experienced All-Star to rely on, but it’s also put a damper on their overall depth.

Butler’s presence has already been felt in the Sixers’ rotation. He came up with a game-saving block and followed it up with the game-winning 3-pointer in their 122-119 overtime victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Nov. 17.

A trio of Simmons, Butler and Joel Embiid surely has the Philadelphia 76ers heading in the right direction. As it stands, the Sixers are 13-8 and third in the Eastern Conference standings. An ugly 121-112 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night snapped a four-game winning streak, but it exposed the current hole that remains with their lack of depth.

As far as Fultz is concerned, trading him is the best decision for both sides. He’s still managed to average 8.2 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game this season, but he’s shooting just 28.6 percent from 3-point range, showing his fit just may not be with this team.

It’s easy to place blame on one side or the other, but blame has to go to both sides in this case. Fultz hasn’t been fully upfront about his shoulder injury while head coach Brett Brown thrust him into the starting lineup with one of the best 3-point shooters in the game coming off the bench.

Bringing him off the bench could have generated a much different outcome, but as it stands, it looks like Fultz is on his way out. The Process has been an interesting one and the latest mishandling of Markelle Fultz should add more fuel to those in new management positions.

The latest test for management is finding a potential suitor for Fultz. The 6’5″ combo guard could have a lot of value for a team like the Phoenix Suns, Orlando Magic or Memphis Grizzlies. If they can find a deal that strengthens their bench, it could put them on a solid path to a possible championship run.