Orlando Magic guard Markelle Fultz was scratched from his team's matchup against the Utah jazz at the last minute on Thursday night.
After being listed as a starter as recently as an hour before tip-off, Fultz has been pulled from the lineup due to knee swelling. While it's not known if the injury is acute or not, it is worth noting that the knee giving Fultz trouble is the one that he had surgery on previously. He tore ACL in his left knee in January 2021, missing the remainder of 2020-21 and most of 2021-22.
Gary Harris Jr. will start in Fultz's place for the Magic.
Fultz, the former no. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, is in his fifth season with the Magic after beginning his career with the Philadelphia 76ers. He's averaging 11 points and just over four assists per game in 29 minutes a night.
Should Fultz be out of action for any extended period of time, the Magic have options in the backcourt. Cole Anthony and Jalen Suggs can both man the position, while Harris slots in at shooting guard. Most of the Magic's firepower is up front with Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, but the team needs adequate players to run the offense.
Hopefully for the Magic, and Fultz, the knee issue is not related to his previous surgeries, and he simply needs a day of rest for the swelling to reduce. The NBA season is long. The amount of high impact to players joints can and does wear down players' bodies.
For his career, Fultz averages 11.8 points and five assists per game.
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