Former Sixers First Pick Markelle Fultz Inks Extension With Magic
A few years ago, the future of Markelle Fultz was cloudy. It was quite a shocking situation considering how high Fultz climbed on NBA teams' draft boards after a standout season with the Washington Huskies.
As a five-star recruit out of Maryland, Fultz started in 25 games for the Huskies during the 2016-2017 NCAA basketball season. During that time, the freshman guard averaged 23 points-per-game and knocked down just over 40-percent from beyond the arc.
After a lone season with Washington, Fultz decided to go pro. As a legitimate first-overall pick candidate, it seemed Fultz would inevitably land with the Boston Celtics during the 2017 NBA Draft, but the Sixers' front office was extremely intrigued with the young guard and took a risk by trading up to the first pick from pick three.
As expected, the Sixers drafted Fultz with the No. 1 overall pick to pair him up with the team's two other stars, Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. The Sixers' 2017 season was highly anticipated because Simmons would debut after missing his rookie year, and Fultz was coming onto the team.
But like many of Philly's first-round rookies, Fultz suffered a setback. In year one, he played just 14 games for the Sixers towards the end of the year. By the time the playoffs rolled around, the team couldn't utilize Fultz due to his minimal experience.
Heading into his highly-anticipated sophomore season, Fultz was still dealing with his mysterious shoulder injury. Although he appeared on the court for the 76ers to start the season and even started in 15 games, the former first pick only made 19 appearances for the Sixers in 2018.
By now, we've heard tons of rumors regarding what may or may not have happened behind the scenes. While all of it is speculation, the only thing we know for sure is that the Sixers no longer felt they could work with Fultz. So, they traded him to the Orlando Magic at the 2018-2019 NBA trade deadline.
Fultz, since his short-lived Sixers stint, hasn't returned to his Washington form fully. However, the young guard has been a reliable player for the Magic, averaging 12 points-per-game and 5.1 assists in his first full season. As he's eligible for an extension this year, Orlando rewarded Fultz with a brand new contract.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Fultz and the Magic agreed to a three-year extension worth $50 million. Quite a significant payday for the young guard, who was dubbed a major draft bust during his short time with the Sixers.
While Fultz's reemergence with the Magic has been an excellent feel-good story worth paying attention to, his recent success likely didn't cause the Sixers to have any regrets. The what-ifs might still creep into the minds of Sixers fans, ownership, and staff members who were present for the Fultz era from time to time, but it's clear Fultz, and the Sixers just weren't meant to be.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. you can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_
