Markelle Fultz intends to grace NBA courts sooner, rather than later.
The Philadelphia 76ers point guard expects to return to the team’s rotation this season, his agent Raymond Brothers told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Tuesday. Fultz left the Sixers on Nov. 19 to address a condition that later was diagnosed as thoracic outlet syndrome, which has limited his shoulder mobility and wreaked havoc on his shooting motion.
76ers general manager Elton Brand said last week he couldn’t guarantee Fultz would return this season, but Brothers’ comments to Wojnarowski indicate Fultz’s comeback in 2019 is a certainty.
“We want to make sure he’s 100 percent and healthy when he does come back,” Brothers said Tuesday.
Whether Fultz actually returns to action as a Sixer remains to be seen. Jimmy Butler’s arrival in Philadelphia last month via trade pushed Fultz down coach Brett Brown’s pecking order, and recent rumors have claimed the 76ers ready to move on from the 20-year-old and that he preferrs a “fresh start” with a new team.
Further reports suggested the Sixers were in “no rush” to trade Fultz, meaning he’ll likely don his familiar uniform if doctors green light his return prior to the Feb. 7 NBA trade deadline.
That leaves just over six weeks for Fultz and the Sixers to come to an understanding over his recovery and re-integration into the team.
