Markelle Fultz Still Holds Value In The NBA

Despite showing improvement, the 26-year-old point guard remains a free agent

With over a month left in the offseason, point guard Markelle Fultz remains unsigned. Despite the lack of attention he is gaining, he still has the potential to be valuable in the league.

Fultz was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers as the first overall pick in the 2017 draft. After playing just 19 games in the 2018-19 season, he suffered a shoulder injury that kept him sidelined for the remainder of the year. Because of it, he was traded to the Orlando Magic for Jonathon Simmons and two draft picks.

Although many pundits began to view Fultz as a draft bust, he started to show slight improvement with the Magic. During the 2019-20 campaign, he played 72 games and averaged 12.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.3 steals. He even finished with a total of six 20-point games, marking the first season of his career with a 20-point performance. At the end of the year, he finished in 13th place in voting for the Most Improved Player award. He kept the trend going in the 2020 playoffs, logging in averages of 12 points, 5.2 assists, and one steal, all while holding a starting spot in the lineup.

Throughout the next four seasons, Fultz continued to showcase his potential as he recorded 11.4 points per game, along with 3.5 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.2 steals. For his entire five years with the Magic, he averaged 11.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.2 steals.

Considering the fact that Fultz’s statistics have sparked while playing in Orlando, he could still contribute to a team, even if it means coming off the bench.

Cory Nelson is a contributor to Fansided’s Wiz of Awes. He attended Northern Virginia Community College. He can be reached at corymckenzienelson@hotmail.com or follow him on Twitter @CKenzyNelson, Instagram @ckenzynelson, and Threads @ckenzynelson