Circumstance after strange circumstance have turned Markelle Fultz’s time with the 76ers into a spectacle, and if he wants to prosper in the NBA he might need to do it on another team.
When the Philadelphia 76ers swapped picks with the Boston Celtics to move up and draft Markelle Fultz the move wasn’t particularly controversial.
Fultz was coming off of an impressive season at Washington where he put up over 23 points a game while shooting almost 48 percent from the field, and he seemed like a player with serious upside. On draft night, Jalen Rose compared Fultz to Bradley Beal, and it seemed like him, Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid would ring in a new era of Sixers basketball.
Then, things got weird.
Out of nowhere, Fultz’s shot disintegrated. Fultz’s team and the Sixers trainers couldn’t seem to agree on what was causing the issues, and speculation on social media ran rampant; a constant stream of cellphone videos featuring Fultz doing shooting drills only added fuel to the fire, and what was supposed to be a great rookie season turned into a sideshow.
This year things haven’t been much better, and he still hasn’t been able to stay on the floor. It’s widely being widely reported that the Sixers want to trade Fultz, and honestly, that might be the best thing for all involved. Things are pretty crowded on the Sixers after the addition of Jimmy Butler, and to really reach his potential Fultz might need a full reset.
For whatever reason, it doesn’t seem like he gels with the Sixers coaching staff and a change of scenery and personnel will likely give him his best chance at recovery. Let’s take a look at some potential trades that would help the Sixers well setting Fultz on a better path.