Inside The Huskies

After Long Layoff, Ex-Husky Markelle Fultz Returns to NBA with Kings

He brings the number of former UW players in the league back up to four.
Dan Raley|
Former Husky Markelle Fultz, then with the Orlando Magic, drives to the basket against Cleveland in a 2024 game.
Former Husky Markelle Fultz, then with the Orlando Magic, drives to the basket against Cleveland in a 2024 game. | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Markelle Fultz, the 2017 NBA No. 1 overall draft pick from the University of Washington and missing in action for the first three months of this basketball season, agreed to a free-agent deal on Wednesday to join the Sacramento Kings.

Knee injuries led to his departure from the Orlando Magic after last season and kept him sidelined until the Kings reached out in need of a playmaker after sending point guard De'Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs at the trade deadline. He is said to be fully healthy.

With his return, the 6-foot-4 Fultz will increase the number of ex-Huskies on active NBA rosters back up to four -- joining forward Jaden McDaniels of the Minnesota Timberwolves, forward Isaiah Stewart of the Detroit Pistons and forward Keion Brooks of the New Orleans Pelicans.

UW guard Markelle Fultz gets double-teamed by UCLA's Isaac Hamilton, left, and Ike Anigbogu during a 2017 game.
UW guard Markelle Fultz gets double-teamed by UCLA's Isaac Hamilton, left, and Ike Anigbogu during a 2017 game. | Jennifer Buchanan-Imagn Images

Among other one-time Huskies in the league, guard Mattise Thybulle of the Portland Trail Blazers still hasn't been cleared to play following an ankle injury that has kept him out all season and guard Dejounte Murray of the New Orleans Pelicans recently suffered a season-ending Achilles tendon tear.

Fultz, the highest drafted UW player ever, joins the Kings for his eighth NBA season after previous stops with the Philadelphia 76ers and the Magic.

He played just one year in Montlake, in Lorenzo Romar's final season as the Husky coach before getting fired, and averaged 23.2 points per game and drew plenty of interest in his talents even with the UW going through a dismal 9-22 season.

Fultz previously has appeared in 234 NBA games, 164 as a starter, and averaged 11.1 points, 4.6 assists and 3.4 rebounds in his career.

For the latest UW football and basketball news, go to si.com/college/washington

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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