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The Philadelphia 76ers are in Orlando to take on the Magic tonight, and while the game will have playoff implications for both teams, the more interesting story involves a player who won't be on the floor. At the trade deadline in February, Philly traded 2017 first overall pick Markelle Fultz to the Magic in exchange for Jonathon Simmons, a top-20 protected first-round pick in 2020, and a second-round pick in 2019.
The Sixers essentially gave up Fultz for cap relief and future rookies who probably won't even make the team. Of course, Fultz could never return to his college form for the Magic and Philadelphia would have come out on top, but at this point, Orlando got the better end of the deal. What should fans expect from Fultz in the future?
The first point to take under consideration is why did the Magic even bother trading for Fultz? He's played in 33 games his whole career and hasn't been very good when he has been on the court. His lingering shoulder injury could derail his career, and to add to the list of issues, he has struggled with the mental side of recovery. His shooting form has been rebuilt more than once and is still nothing close to what it was in college.
Fultz was the consensus top prospect in 2017, even in a class with players like Jayson Tatum, Lonzo Ball, and Donovan Mitchell. There is a reason that the 76ers decided to trade up and select him with the first pick. At 6-foot-5 and 200 pounds, Fultz possessed ideal size for a modern point guard.
In his lone season at Washington, he displayed elite athleticism, scoring ability, and court vision, as well as solid defense. He had all the physical traits and skills of a future All-Star, and Philly needed a point guard to play with Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid.
A very weird situation ensued, one that culminated in the Sixers deciding that the best course of action to take was for both parties to move on. Now instead of paying Fultz nearly $10 million next season, they can cut Simmons for just $1 million in dead cap. With the looming free agency of Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris, that added cap space will be very useful in keeping their stars and attempting to replace Dario Saric and Robert Covington.
For the Magic, taking the risk on Fultz made all the sense in the world. Even without seventh overall pick Mohamed Bamba for much of this season, they are still in the playoff hunt, despite having a relatively untalented roster. Orlando can afford to let Fultz sit and heal completely before playing again.
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If Fultz is able to become 100% healthy, both physically and mentally, the Magic will have gotten an elite prospect for pennies. If he never regains his college form, it's not a huge deal as Orlando didn't give up much for him. It's a very low risk-very high reward situation, and the Magic could end up being big winners.
Fultz has said his rehab is “going great”, which is encouraging, but we'll believe it when we see it. There was plenty of misinformation around during his Philadelphia days, and often times Fultz's camp would claim one thing while the 76ers organization stated the opposite. Hopefully there will be better communication between Fultz and the Magic.
The plan for Fultz should be to shut him down until he's healthy. That means he should not play again this season, and if required, miss the start if 2019-2020. Anytime you're dealing with nerves and motor skills, it's a serious topic, so the medical team should be doing everything possible to reduce the chances of Fultz re-injuring himself.
After it is verified that he's back to 100%, he will need to work on rebuilding his shooting form, both on his jumpshots and free throws. Once he does that, he can begin to regain his confidence. After that, he will need to become acclimated with Orlando's offensive system, which shouldn't be too difficult, as Fultz has already voiced his approval for it.
The Magic took a risk by trading for Markelle Fultz, and while it may take a while, it's a risk that should pay off in a big way. Orlando was able to acquire an elite talent at a steep discount, and with another draft pick this year, should be in a good position to become a legitimate playoff contender in 2019-2020.
