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Guard Markelle Fultz remains a free agent well into the NBA’s offseason, and he reportedly isn’t generating much interest.
Brett Siegel of Clutch Points reported Thursday that Fultz “hasn’t commanded much attention in free agency around the NBA to this point,” even though “it would be surprising if he isn’t on a roster at the start of training camp.”
The 26-year-old played the last five seasons with the Orlando Magic, but Siegel noted the Eastern Conference team already signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Cory Joseph this offseason. That seemed to signal an end to Fultz’s time with Orlando after he played out the final year of his contract last season while earning $17 million.
The top pick in the 2017 NBA draft, Fultz averaged 7.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists while appearing in 43 games. It was just the third time in his career he’s even reached the 20 games played mark.
The Washington product missed most of his first two seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers due to a shoulder injury before being traded to Orlando.
While he was healthy in his first full season with the Magic, Fultz suffered a torn ACL in January 2021 that cost him 13 months of action. He appeared in just 26 games between the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons.
“I’ve done a great job of taking care of my body throughout this whole season,” he told reporters during the 2022-23 season. “Maintaining my shoulder and knee and everything, so my body feels amazing and I feel really good. I think that as the season went along, that’s all you guys continued to see, is a young man who felt more and more comfortable, confident swagger, belief and hunger.”
The Magic have a bit of a logjam in the backcourt with Jalen Suggs, Caldwell-Pope, Joseph and Cole Anthony, among others, so there was only so much room for Fultz coming into the offseason.
That could leave Fultz looking to join a contender as someone who can come off the bench as the offseason proceeds.
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