The Philadelphia 76ers' front office is reportedly not in any hurry to trade former No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz.
There have been plenty of rumors surrounding Fultz's future with the Sixers, as the former Washington star has been unable to meet expectations due to various injury and shooting issues.
Fultz has played in just 33 games over the past two seasons and is currently averaging just 7.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists for his career.
That has led to a lot of speculation as to when the Sixers could ship him elsewhere, but they aren't going to trade him for something small, according to Keith Pompey of Philly.com.
From Pompey:
A lot of that has to do with his dwindling trade value combined with the ownership group’s philosophy of not giving up assets for zilch. The ownership group also isn’t in total agreement with what do with Fultz, according to league sources.
Pompey also speculated on the front office disagreements and why they could be fearing Fultz turning his game around and becoming a huge star for another franchise:
That’s why some in the ownership group, which doesn’t like to look bad, are now pondering if it’s too early to give up on a guy that had so much promise at the University of Washington.
They view his becoming a star for another team worse than him remaining a Sixer and continuing to struggle. Former general manager Bryan Colangelo, who drafted Fultz, would get the blame in the latter scenario. However, the front-office holdovers and ownership group would have to look at themselves in the mirror if they trade Fultz for next to nothing and he goes on to become the star they thought he was going to be when they drafted him.
The Sixers reportedly want a first-round pick in any deal, and not just a late one, though getting one is extremely unlikely. This is certainly a situation that will continue to be watched very closely by everyone in the NBA as the trade deadline approaches.
The Sixers will return to the court on Sunday afternoon to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers, but Fultz remains sidelined as he rehabs his shoulder after being diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome.
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