Lakers eyeing move for another former No. 1 overall pick?
Apr 22, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; The Los Angeles Lakers logo at center court during game three of the 2023 NBA playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
LeBron James and Anthony Davis might not be the only former top overall picks on the Los Angeles Lakers’ roster for long.
Lakers writer Anthony Irwin of ClutchPoints reported Friday that the team has had internal discussions about adding veteran guard Markelle Fultz. The 26-year-old Fultz remains an unsigned free agent after spending the last five NBA seasons with the Orlando Magic.
Fultz was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers (over later lottery picks such as Jayson Tatum, De’Aaron Fox, Lauri Markkanen, Donovan Mitchell, and Bam Adebayo). But he is universally seen as a bust, having averaged just 7.7 points per game on 41.4 percent shooting for the 76ers before being traded less than two years after he was drafted. Fultz’s Philly tenure was also marred by an ugly and bizarre saga with his jump-shooting form.
The former University of Washington star Fultz did manage to rebuild his reputation some though in a lower-stress environment in Orlando, posting 14.0 points, 5.7 assists, and 1.5 steals per game in the 2022-23 campaign. With the Lakers getting next to nothing from their backup point guard Gabe Vincent, Fultz could have some appeal for them. But it could require much more (such as a trade for this rumored target) for the Lakers to turn around their mediocre 13-11 season.
