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Washington standout and potential No. 1 overall selection Markelle Fultz has told ESPN's Jeff Goodman that he's had multiple conversations with Boston Celtics president Danny Ainge since his NBA Draft Combine earlier this month in hopes to becoming the top pick in the draft.
“I've talked to Danny a few times, and they want to get me to come out there for a visit,” Fultz said Tuesday. “They just want to get a chance to know me better as a person.”
“I want to be the No. 1 pick really bad. It's been a dream of mine since I was a little kid, and I feel like I would fit well in Boston.”
While the two parties still haven't agreed on a set date for a workout, 6-foot-4, 195-pound Washington, D.C. native has met with Boston and other teams who have him in their sight.
Fultz averaged 23.2 points, 5.9 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game as a freshman at the University of Washington, while shooting an impressive 41 percent from deep. A bona fide scorer from all spots, Fultz has been consistently predicted to be the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft, according to multiple sources.
“I don't know a ton about the city,” Fultz said of potentially playing in Boston. “I know the tradition the franchise has, and that the fans are crazy.”
A potential role with the team would depend on his synergy with point guard Isaiah Thomas, also a Washington product, but the two have met before since his recruiting visits and kept in touch since.
“We can both play on or off the ball,” Fultz said of Thomas and himself. “We can both score and also pass. I think we'd be great together. When we've talked since the lottery, we haven't really talked about basketball much. He's been through a lot lately.”
Fultz turned 19 years old today, but has been a relatively unknown college player compared to the likes of other top picks like Lonzo Ball (UCLA) and Josh Jackson (Kansas) — but to scouts, his polished all-around talent has been the very reason why he's hailed as the first selection prior to the draft.
