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So, apparently, we have reached the veiled part of Markelle Fultz's current saga, with L & # 39; athletics Having announced Wednesday that Fultz – who informed the Sixers on Monday via his agent / lawyer – that he would close the doors until he sees an independent doctor about his painful shoulder – would prefer a new start with a new team.
Oh, and he also has wrist pain.
What a disaster.
Fultz is 20 years old, less than two years old in his NBA career, and he already deserves a 30 for 30 (Or one SI Movies because, you know, the home team). In March 2017, it was widely considered the # 1 choice by consensus. In June, the Celtics – who saw something that terrified them in the training of Fultz – deceived Philadelphia by giving him the No. 3 first choice and a No. 1 future. Sixers were mortified by unilateral changes In October, Fultz began fighting shoulder problems that limited it to 14 games last season.
It looks like Fultz wants to kick start his career elsewhere – although it's interesting that his agent, Raymond Brothers, told ESPN that Fultz had not asked for an exchange – that's not surprising.
MCCANN: The latest saga of Fultz on the shoulder could imply the law
Elsewhere, Fultz is not the first choice.
Elsewhere, Fultz is not rebuilding his confidence in a conference candidate.
Elsewhere, Fultz could find a better fit than in a team that has little need of a dominant playmaker.
The problem? Philadelphia can not send it elsewhere.
Do you want a candid assessment of the commercial value of Fultz? A rival leader suggested the Sixers make a call to Phoenix to see if a Fultz-Trevor Ariza exchange could be considered. Ariza is a versatile, defensive forward who could help the Philly offense in the playoffs. And Phoenix could take a leaflet on Fultz, hoping to rebuild it in a low-pressure environment.
That's right: the value of last year's # 1 pick is a faded winger and 33-year-old with a one-year contract.
Yuck.
The Sixers have limited options here. When Fultz returns – and the Sixers seemed blinded by his agent's decision to take him out of the rotation – they do not have many places to place him. It fits poorly in Joel Embiid training / Ben Simmons / Jimmy Butler, and it competes for backup minutes in the smaller but more reliable T.J. McConnell.
Can Fultz's trust really be rebuilt in a team where his minutes are uncertain?
Probably not.
Know where it can? The G League.
Under the rules negotiated by the NBA, teams have the right to assign players with less than three years of service to its minor league affiliate. Retrying Fultz for a long stay would be unprecedented, but Philadelphia lacks options. Fultz's lack of confidence in his rider – he only shot 28.6% of the vote – makes it virtually unplayable in the fourth quarter, especially with Butler.
A few months in Delaware could be the best thing for him.
Are there any risks? Sure. If Fultz weighs him with the Blue Coats, his confidence could widen and his commercial value would fall to the surface. But Delaware would allow Fultz to play 35 minutes per game in a no-pressure environment. In Delaware, Fultz would play for Connor Johnson, former Philly assistant and Blue Coats coach chosen by Elton Brand, who will play Fultz in a Sixers-centric system.
MANNIX: Can we adjust the assistants?
Could Fultz resist? May be. It's a kick in the ego to send to the G League. But Fultz does not have much weight. He is under the control of the Sixers for the next two seasons, three if one counts the $ 16 million qualifying bid that Philadelphia can extend Fultz in 2021. He could turn down the mission, but the Sixers could then suspend him, thus stifling his salary of $ 8.3 million.
Hard to see the Fultz representatives recommend that.
It's a Hail Mary, but times are desperate. Fultz has become a distraction – Simmons has refused to answer any questions about Fultz before Wednesday's game against the Pelicans – and a team that tries to incorporate a new alpha into Butler on the fly can not afford to that. No matter what happens with Markelle Fultz, that does not seem to be fixable in Philadelphia. To restore Fultz's confidence, the Sixers may have to lose it even more.
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