The Sacramento Kings are hoping another point guard from the 2017 NBA draft class can help fill the huge void left behind by De’Aaron Fox.
On Wednesday, news broke that the Kings were signing point guard Markelle Fultz to a contract. Terms of the deal have yet to be disclosed.
The Philadelphia 76ers drafted Fultz first overall in 2017, four picks ahead of Fox. But it was Fox who has ended up having the better career so far as a perennial 20-point scorer and 1-time All-Star.
Fultz was a highly touted scorer coming out Washington. But some issues with Fultz’ jump shot doomed his stint with the Sixers. He played just two seasons in Philly before being shipped to the Orlando Magic just before the 2019 trade deadline.
Fultz was able to rebuild his reputation in Orlando, becoming a solid backcourt option for a middling Magic squad. In five seasons with the Magic, Fultz averaged 11.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists across 201 games played — far from superstar numbers but enough to carve out a place in the NBA.
However, Fultz also battled injuries throughout his Magic tenure. He tore his ACL in 2021, which kept him sidelined for most of the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons. Injuries also limited him to just 43 games last year. Fultz had drawn interest from a different Western Conference team in December but remained unsigned until landing his deal with the Kings.
