The strange saga that is Markelle Fultz’s career took another bizarre turn early this week when it was announced he was planning to see a shoulder specialist at the discretion of his attorney and would no longer participate in any on-court activities with the Sixers until that happens.
The Sixers were blindsided by this and, while they said the right things, it’s clear tensions continue to build between the team and their former No. 1 overall pick from a year ago. Fultz and the Sixers have butted heads on his health status for almost his entire career, with his extended absence last season due to a mysterious shoulder injury that no one has fully been able to figure out.
Now, it appears Fultz’s health issues have compounded to include a wrist injury, according to a new report from The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Sam Amick, Derrick Bodner, and Jared Weiss. That is apparently part of the reason for his upcoming visit to a specialist as they look to figure out how to strengthen that wrist.
While the news of another injury, which the Sixers have not reported, is certainly noteworthy, even more so is that The Athletic reports sources close to Fultz have told them he “would prefer a fresh start with a new team.” We have speculated that the Sixers and Fultz are to a point that a breakup is for the best of both parties, as Fultz’s needs don’t line up with those of the Sixers right now, especially after the Jimmy Butler trade which further accelerated their timeline of wanting to compete for championships.
Fultz clearly needs to continue working through things that are some combination of physical and mental with the health of his arm and whatever blocks may exist with his shooting form. Philadelphia, as it’s becoming increasingly more clear, doesn’t seem like the best place for him to do that given the expectations on the team and, in turn, on him whenever he’s on the court.
That’s not to say the Sixers and their fans don’t clearly want him to succeed, but the inadvertent pressure being placed on him may not be ideal to his success and development. We’ll have to see if this leads to anything, and the Sixers, who gave up a lot to move up and draft Fultz, likely aren’t too keen on moving him right now when his value seemingly couldn’t be much lower.
