(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
His value may have sunk depressingly low, but there are still a number of teams that could afford to take a chance on Markelle Fultz.
The Markelle Fultz era appears to be coming to an unceremonious end in the City of Brotherly Love, as the former No. 1 overall pick is reportedly no longer part of the Philadelphia 76er’s long-term plans, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Every week it seems like another layer is added to this exhausting saga. On Thanksgiving day, Dallas Cowboy’s receiver Amari Cooper imitated one of Fultz’s more bizarre free throw routines following a third quarter touchdown.
A couple days prior, The Athletic‘s David Aldridge tweeted that Fultz would sit out of all team practices and games moving forward while a shoulder specialist took a crack at coming up with a diagnosis.
The Sixers have done their best to remain patient and supportive with one of the weirdest “injuries” in sports history. But after acquiring Jimmy Butler a couple weeks ago, they aren’t so interested in playing the waiting game anymore, which puts the former Washington point guard in position to be shipped elsewhere in return for a package that could be more useful in the present.
Not many teams are in dire need of a primary ball-handler, and much less want one who brings as much turmoil as Fultz. There are some, though, that could see his availability as a tremendous kind of buy-low opportunity that rarely presents itself.
Fultz is still merely 20 years old, and there has to be some reason Philly decided to trade up in the draft to take him. It’s very likely a front office has the faith in their organizational culture enough to bring him into the fold, or if not for that reason, then maybe just because of the potential lying dormant somewhere within his mind.
Philadelphia 76er’s</a> long-term plans, according to <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/25/3-teams-that-should-look-to-take-a-flier-on-markelle-fultz/"http://www2.philly.com/philly/sports/sixers/markelle-fultz-sixers-trade-injury-shoulder-nba-76ers-raymond-brothers-20181124.html">Keith Pompey of the <em>Philadelphia Inquirer</em></a>.</p>
<p>Every week it seems like another layer is added to this exhausting saga. On Thanksgiving day, Dallas Cowboy’s receiver Amari Cooper <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/25/3-teams-that-should-look-to-take-a-flier-on-markelle-fultz/"https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1065754652786995200">imitated one of Fultz’s more bizarre free throw routines following a third quarter touchdown.</p>
<p>A couple days prior, <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/25/3-teams-that-should-look-to-take-a-flier-on-markelle-fultz/"https://twitter.com/davidaldridgedc/status/1064911927233716224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1064911927233716224&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fbleacherreport.com%2Farticles%2F2807630-markelle-fultz-trade-rumors-76ers-considering-move-amid-shoulder-issues%22>The Athletic</em>‘s David Aldridge tweeted</a> that Fultz would sit out of all team practices and games moving forward while a shoulder specialist took a crack at coming up with a diagnosis.</p>
<p>The Sixers have done their best to remain patient and supportive with one of the weirdest “injuries” in sports history. But after acquiring <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/25/3-teams-that-should-look-to-take-a-flier-on-markelle-fultz/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/butleji01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Jimmy Butler</a> a couple weeks ago, they aren’t so interested in playing the waiting game anymore, which puts the former Washington point guard in position to be shipped elsewhere in return for a package that could be more useful in the present.</p>
<p>Not many teams are in dire need of a primary ball-handler, and much less want one who brings as much turmoil as Fultz. There are some, though, that could see his availability as a tremendous kind of buy-low opportunity that rarely presents itself.</p>
<p>Fultz is still merely 20 years old, and there has to be some reason Philly decided to trade up in the draft to take him. It’s very likely a front office has the faith in their organizational culture enough to bring him into the fold, or if not for that reason, then maybe just because of the potential lying dormant somewhere within his mind.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/25/3-teams-that-should-look-to-take-a-flier-on-markelle-fultz/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 3 </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_331786" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="size-large wp-image-331786" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/25/3-teams-that-should-look-to-take-a-flier-on-markelle-fultz/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1058902038-850x560.jpeg" alt="" width="590" height="389"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">(Photos by Darren Carroll/NBAE via Getty Images)</p>
</div>
</div>
<h3>3. San Antonio Spurs</h3>
<p>The <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/25/3-teams-that-should-look-to-take-a-flier-on-markelle-fultz/"https://hoopshabit.com/western-conference/san-antonio-spurs/">San Antonio Spurs</a> organization has become somewhat of the NBA’s unofficial rehab facility for castaway players.</p>
<p>Head coach Gregg Popovich famously turned <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/25/3-teams-that-should-look-to-take-a-flier-on-markelle-fultz/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/millspa02.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Patty Mills</a> and <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/25/3-teams-that-should-look-to-take-a-flier-on-markelle-fultz/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/greenda02.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Danny Green</a> into productive members of a championships squad, while countless others have seen their talents maximized in ways not possible outside San Antonio.</p>
<p>It’s never really mattered how good the Spurs are in any given year, they aren’t granted much of the national media spotlight, which can be frustrating for attention-hungry fans who just want their team to be respected, but could be perfect for a beaten-down former star college athlete who just needs to lay low for a while and get his mind and body right.</p>
<p>San Antonio already has a couple of guards for the future in <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/25/3-teams-that-should-look-to-take-a-flier-on-markelle-fultz/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/murrade01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Dejounte Murray</a> and <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/25/3-teams-that-should-look-to-take-a-flier-on-markelle-fultz/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/walkelo01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Lonnie Walker</a> IV. The combo happens to be rehabbing from their own injuries, but both appear to be valuable pieces to the Spurs as they transition into this new era.</p>
<p>Still, it could never hurt to take a chance on someone with so much potential, especially with the team still not at a title-contending level. Popovich has always been great at managing minutes, and if anyone can help Fultz in his quest to regain whatever it is he lost, it’s the future Hall of Fame coach along with probably the best culture throughout the league today.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/25/3-teams-that-should-look-to-take-a-flier-on-markelle-fultz/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 2 </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_331789" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="size-large wp-image-331789" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/25/3-teams-that-should-look-to-take-a-flier-on-markelle-fultz/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F946336940-850x560.jpeg" alt="" width="590" height="389"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">(Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)</p>
</div>
</div>
<h3>2. Miami Heat</h3>
<p>Over the last few seasons, the <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/25/3-teams-that-should-look-to-take-a-flier-on-markelle-fultz/"https://hoopshabit.com/eastern-conference/miami-heat/">Miami Heat</a> have been stuck in basketball purgatory — not wasting away at the bottom of the standings, but much worse, in fact, by being stuck in the middle with no signs of improvement.</p>
<p><a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/25/3-teams-that-should-look-to-take-a-flier-on-markelle-fultz/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/r/rileypa01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Pat Riley</a> has attached himself to a group of players whose ceiling isn’t high enough for an organization with championship aspirations, but due to his unwillingness to sink to the bottom, Miami is left trying to make do with talent in need of a star to lead them.</p>
<p>Like San Antonio, the Heat have a terrific culture set in place that has helped quite a few players find resurgence in downward trending careers, and they’d surely be happy to rid themselves of some of the more lucrative contracts they’ve handcuffed themselves to in a potential trade.</p>
<p>This isn’t to insinuate that Fultz can become a star. Technically, the jury is still out on that one. But, as mentioned earlier, he clearly showed the talent during his brief stint in college that made him the consensus No. 1 overall selection in the 2017 NBA Draft.</p>
<p>Miami may be a little too flashy for a guy who can’t seem to stay out of the media, but as a franchise running maybe as tight a ship as any, Riley and co. will make sure to do everything in their power to set Fultz up for success.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/25/3-teams-that-should-look-to-take-a-flier-on-markelle-fultz/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 1 </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_331794" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="size-large wp-image-331794" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/25/3-teams-that-should-look-to-take-a-flier-on-markelle-fultz/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1045308348-850x560.jpeg" alt="" width="590" height="389"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">(Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)</p>
</div>
</div>
<h3>1. Orlando Magic</h3>
<p>Ever since <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/25/3-teams-that-should-look-to-take-a-flier-on-markelle-fultz/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/howardw01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Dwight Howard</a> was shipped away in the summer of 2012, the <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/25/3-teams-that-should-look-to-take-a-flier-on-markelle-fultz/"https://hoopshabit.com/eastern-conference/orlando-magic/">Orlando Magic</a> have found themselves swimming in the lottery pool, desperate to find that one franchise savior to bring them back to relevance as Superman did back in 2004.</p>
<p>Six drafts later, said guy hasn’t come. Orlando has swung on a number of prospects — mostly bigs — with little amounts of success. One position the front office has never even really tried to fill since <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/25/3-teams-that-should-look-to-take-a-flier-on-markelle-fultz/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/n/nelsoja01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Jameer Nelson</a> left was the point guard spot.</p>
<p>The starting gig currently belongs to <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/25/3-teams-that-should-look-to-take-a-flier-on-markelle-fultz/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/a/augusdj01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">D.J. Augustin</a>, a 31-year-old journeyman whose stop in Orlando marks the eighth team he’s played for over the course of a decade-plus career. His backup is <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/25/3-teams-that-should-look-to-take-a-flier-on-markelle-fultz/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/grantje02.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Jerian Grant</a>, a former first round pick who’s played for three teams in just four seasons.</p>
<p>Needless to say, the Magic don’t quite have their floor general of the future currently on the roster, so why not take a chance on what should be a talented point guard in need of a reset?</p>
<p>The Magic aren’t afforded the same reputation as the likes of the Spurs and Heat, but as Florida’s “other” team, not many people will be tuning in to see what’s going on with them on a nightly basis. This should give Fultz the chance to rehab at his own pace to the point where he feels comfortable getting back onto the court without external pressure weighing him down.</p>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="NBA Thanksgiving - What each team has to be thankful for" data-url="https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/21/nba-thanksgiving-every-team-thankful-2018-19/" data-call-to-action="Next"> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/25/3-teams-that-should-look-to-take-a-flier-on-markelle-fultz/"https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/21/nba-thanksgiving-every-team-thankful-2018-19/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> NBA Thanksgiving - What each team has to be thankful for </a> </div>
</div>
<p>When he does return, they’ll certainly feel a difference between being a top pick on a championship contending team versus one just trying to help build something from the ground up. It’s this difference in both pressure and expectation that should help Markelle Fultz regain his confidence in order to become a legit NBA player.</p><!—pageview_candidate—>">