Markelle Fultz is scheduled to see a shoulder specialist next week and will not take part in team activities until after he is evaluated, and all of this sounds like it is news to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Fultz’s agent, Raymond Brothers, confirmed to ESPN on Tuesday that he — not the 76ers — advised Fultz to meet with a specialist. Fultz played seven minutes during Monday’s win over the Phoenix Suns before being benched in favor of TJ McConnell, but head coach Brett Brown mentioned nothing about the point guard’s shoulder after the game. While speaking with reporters on Tuesday, both Brown and 76ers GM Elton Brand said they were caught off-guard by the demand from Fultz’s agent.
Elton Brand is being clear that the organization is supportive of Fultz, but he was clearly surprised by the call he got from Fultz's agent this morning
— Yaron Weitzman (@YaronWeitzman) November 20, 2018
Brand: 'there's nothing we saw medically that didn't allow (Fultz) to play'
— Yaron Weitzman (@YaronWeitzman) November 20, 2018
Brett Brown: 'it's kind of the first real red flag type news' he's gotten about Fultz's shoulder
— Yaron Weitzman (@YaronWeitzman) November 20, 2018
Brown: ''We'll find a way to help Markelle''
— Yaron Weitzman (@YaronWeitzman) November 20, 2018
Fultz is averaging 8.2 points per game this season on 42 percent shooting from the field. He dealt with a shoulder injury throughout his rookie season last year and was limited to just 14 games, but he declared himself fully healthy in training camp and there had been no talk of him experiencing complications prior to Tuesday.
We know that Fultz was having some issues with his trainer recently, and the latest news seems to indicate there is a disconnect between him and the 76ers as well.
