The Philadelphia 76ers have a Markelle Fultz dilemma.
Fultz, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, has played in just 33 games this season, averaging 7.7 points and 3.4 assists per game. The young guard currently is sitting out as he tries to rehab from thoracic outlet syndrome which is believed to be the cause of his shooting woes.
A few teams reportedly are interested in swinging a deal for Fultz, but the 76ers are “in no rush to trade” the Washington product, according to Keith Pompey of Philly.com.
Pompey reported Sunday, citing sources, that Philadelphia’s ownership group “isn’t in total agreement” on what to do with the guard, and the front office wants a “quality first-round pick” in any deal for Fultz.
According to Pompey, the ownership group is wary of looking bad if they trade Fultz away and he becomes the star they thought he would be somewhere else. Per the report, some in the ownership group believe that having Fultz continue to underwhelm while on the 76ers is a better option than risking him breaking out on a new team.
The issue, of course, is the 76ers are primed to contend now, with a talented core of Joel Embiid, Jimmy Butler and Ben Simmons. While Philadelphia’s starters are one of the better units in the NBA, their depth leaves a lot to be desired. If Fultz’s shooting isn’t fixed following his rehab, Philadelphia will have to look into trading him in order to bolster its bench.
The Fultz dilemma isn’t going away any time soon.
