The Philadelphia 76ers traded Markelle Fultz to the Orlando Magic on Thursday, and Fultz took to Twitter to say his final goodbye to the fans and organization.
Thank you to my teammates, Sixers Fans, the organization, and all those who have supported me as I rehab from TOS.
I wish the sixers and the fans well as they pursue a championship. pic.twitter.com/nn2MIV6HGX— Markelle Fultz (@MarkelleF) February 8, 2019
The Sixers drafted Markelle Fultz with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. The hope in Philly was that Fultz, Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid would become the next dominant Big Three and run the NBA for the next decade.
Simmons and Embiid are stars, but unfortunately for Fultz, he dealt with shoulders injuries during his entire tenure in Philadelphia and was never able to live up to the high expectations of being a No. 1 overall draft pick.
During his rookie season, Markelle Fultz played in just 14 games due to scapular muscle imbalance in his right shoulder. He averaged 7.1 points while shooting 40.5 percent from the field and 47.6 percent from the free-throw line.
After a full offseason of training with renowned shooting coach Drew Hanlen, Fultz was expected to come back this season with confidence in his jump shot, but things were worse than his rookie year.
Fultz had a nasty hitch in his shooting motion at the free-throw line. He airballed a lot of shots and didn't look healthy or comfortable. His agent and attorney, Raymond Brothers, shut Fultz down in November so the guard could see multiple shoulder specialists.
It was after seeing those specialists that Markelle Fultz was diagnosed with Neurogenic Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, an injury which affects nerves between the neck and shoulder resulting in abnormal functional movement and range of motion.
Fultz played in 19 total games with the Sixers. A change of scenery was the best thing for him. Hopefully, the 20-year-old's rehab has been going well so he can prosper with the Magic.
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