This is Why Markelle Fultz is Still a Free Agent

[@AlexHoops]

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[@AhuraAhmadi]

One of the saddest stories in the NBA in recent memory. I hope he keeps playing and comes back, I still think he can contribute to winning

[@stevend7447]

Reminiscent of Danny Manning at the Los Angeles Clippers with both knees buckling in two years after his Superstar role at the University of Kansas.

[@Skribbs510]

hello fellow quad disciple

[@janoycresnova9156]

One is the saddest is a huge stretch. Maybe one of the weirdest stories.

[@Kiwi_J]

Love that quadeca album

[@tomoetoomoe2425]

I think overseas is the best move for him, after his injury last season sapped the last bit of athleticism he had, he has no positive traits to winning anymore... So it's better for him if he decided to go to Europe try to bring back the production he used to have pre-injury and come back in the NBA like Exum

[@gabrielr7655]

He is a really big what-if, selected above Tatum and lonzo which were hyped prospects. Guy was a monster at Washington

[@bigbangbasketball]

He really was the next James Harden

[@truthyahweh9877]

He said he wanted to win Mvp his rookie year and I believed he was capable especially with the sixers roster that year.

[@willcameasromans]

Magic fan here - The flashes in the 22-23 season were legit. The first 20 games of that season he was a legit starting PG. Something that wasn’t publicized enough is his knee issue that he routinely received treatment for. Last year you could visibly see his play style shifting and when it was known he had issues with his knee was an “aha” moment. I don’t think he will be the player he was in college, or the player in the first half of 22-23, but as you said his passing and instincts could get him a roster spot. Before the Spurs got CP3 I thought that would have been a great landing spot for him.

[@style.exe.]

i thought his 2022-2023 season was a glimpse of what he could be and progress from there but injuries came back and all the progress he made was basically wiped, his mid range disappeared then his confidence to shoot it disappeared, one of the more sad stories, ill always appreciate him for his time here and rly wish him the best

[@taylor7264]

fultz in phx would be interesting

[@JordanGurney]

Bol Bol would be interesting.

[@janoycresnova9156]

He's washed. He's not interesting anywhere.

[@tomoetoomoe2425]

Why???, Fultz isn't the stable PG presence that the Suns needed the PG minutes there will be covered by Morris and Jones who are far better playing the PG game than him currently

[@unclesam6972]

Yeah they got Jones tho

[@taylor7264]

@@JordanGurney bol bol has never done anything in this league. Fultz is a career 11/5/3 in 25mpg. Not comparable

[@noyce.]

Tbh he's a decent floor general and dictate the offense really really well for us in some period, offense was flowing when he's on the court for us and we look like dead water sometimes when he's out. But I guess that just mean we need a "point" that can shoot OR hopefully Suggs/Paolo develop more into that role. Teams that have the firepower but lack a point to run the offense off the bench should definitely consider picking him up cheap. It's one of the signings in recent years that we truly do not hate. Hope to see him do well.

[@micahbarrus8406]

I don't know who lacks a lead playmaker though. Maaybe the wizards? Everyone else has at least one guy who needs the ball and is a better player than fultz, which is a death sentence for him.

[@noyce.]

@@micahbarrus8406 Me too bud, I really hope he gets pick up by some team. Heck I wouldn't even mind if we pick him up again even though we got no minutes (he's a good locker room piece too, since our team is super young he's like a "Vet") I believe he's more of a back-up playmaker now, like facilitate the bench unit. BEST case scenario I believe he just needa go to a team with system like the Spurs? (Not sure if they got minutes for him, better off letting Wemby/Sochan get the extra playmake minutes AND they got CP3 now) Else I'm guessing "Heat Culture" could save his career/image. Wiz might be a nightmare though with Poole & Kuz, he might just get a bad rep/image from it. Then again maaaybe it's better than being out of the league.

[@kolst]

Yeah that's the thing, offenses don't really run like that anymore. Your primary ballhandler needs to be a good scorer or it sets your offense's ceiling way too low. It's not so much that he's even a bad player, but he's a bad type of player. Teams just don't want someone like that. Honestly, feels like best chance for him to make a roster is if some team just needs a guard after injuries and/or trades ravage that position for them. Like the Nets. Problem is, even most of the rebuilding teams aren't gonna want him because most of them have their own primary ballhanders they're trying to develop. It's just really hard to even imagine a spot for him anywhere right now. But something could open up.

[@janoycresnova9156]

Who's "we" and "us"? You keep on saying that like you're on a team yourself or in a front office.

[@Tarobbyg]

@@janoycresnova9156 "we" and "us" = him and your mom probably i hate people like you that bring non-necessary toxicity into a healthy chat/discussion OBVIOUSLY, he's a magic fan & anyone with a tiny itsy-bitsy ounce of braincells would be able to figure that out

[@daviddiallo110]

I've been a fan of his since his Washington days. Honestly a Drose level tragedy for me I'm rooting for him with all my heart fr

[@daviddiallo110]

Sidenote the writing at the end of the epidode is masterful wtf

[@justindelphin767]

The Nets should sign him, buy low and he will surprise people.

[@cam4824]

Markelle's knee issues last summer really did a number on his athleticism/burst. In just 4 months, he looked like he'd aged 8 years. What made him good despite not being able to make 3s was his ability to get anywhere on the court combined with his IQ. Now it's just a matter of if his legs can rebound to where they were in 22-23

[@bignoob24]

I still have hope 😊.

[@AlexHoops]

Trust me, I’m rooting for him

[@toniwalther7667]

i always loves his movements his body feeling...comes so naturel for him ( beside his shoulder :D ). its always stand out for me.

[@Kawhi-leonard-Paul-george]

Markelle Fultz is still a pretty good player. It’s just his inability to stay healthy.

[@blacknetsmed]

Not really, he was one of the biggest bust in NBA History. He has never shown to be an impact player. In 2023, they had a bottom 5 Offense when he was on the court. His scoring efficiency was below league average (inefficient),

[@elitetv1735]

@@blacknetsmed- his defensive stats were pretty good the last 2 years, he also is a good slasher, and his 2 healthy seasons with the magic he had 5 and almost 6 assists in about average or 28 mins, which in per 36 is around 7 assists, I think if he can improve the 3 point shot he could be a very useful PG for a roster

[@burekevan]

gotta expand the league, normalization of play and salary aprons make the turnover way to fast - no way fultz should be out of the league already

[@CahlilWesson]

frfr hes not even bad if he could shoot ppl would say hes better than tyus jones

[@illbam-zi9qk]

The right situation he is

[@NixonMayHaveBeenOnToSomething]

​@@illbam-zi9qkhe's not a starting PG on a winning team.

[@CammyD_]

7 years in the league and never developed into the player he was supposed to be. It's not really a surprise he's out of the NBA by now - Making it 5+ years in the league is already a solid career.

[@hoopmix9492]

@@CammyD_it is when he just had his best season 2 years ago proving his at WORST a solid back up & didn’t even get to play much last year bc of injuries

[@1023nick]

I feel like the system and coaching go against Fultz. For instance, it would be interesting to see fultz be thrown into a second unit with a Tony Parker type of setup, when they had LaMarcus Aldridge for the level of spacing available (Similar to the Magic's lack of spacing imo). His craftiness with his dribble and lateral movement allow him to enter playmaking oportunities, but he's never given that chance in the current flow of the offense. Also, he has a pretty solid frame for contributing to defense.

[@NixonMayHaveBeenOnToSomething]

That style isnt utilized anymore. Even so, there would be better options than fultz.

[@hmrhuang]

he was also never in the right head space when he came into the league.

[@johndavis2108]

Hey! Alex hit 100k subs! Congrats! I just started watching after seeing you on the shoot around and have been binge watching you since! You are really intelligent and do a great job breaking down the game for a scrub like me. I hope you continue to grow and wish nothing but the best!

[@soto5110]

Hey congrats on 100k! You totally deserve it, such a good channel

[@TaeMinLee22]

100K baby !! Congrats big man ! 🎉🎉

[@AlexHoops]

Thank you man!! Appreciate you

[@krustyrick]

Kings could use him as a backup point guard. They traded Mitchell away and Carter is out until mid January. All he would have to do is get the ball to Sabonis/ DeRozen/ Murray/ Monk and they would do the rest

[@samn90834]

Takes the ball out of Monks hands in the second unit though - Mitchell wasn’t much of a ball handler/play runner off the bench and Monk keeps improving as a playmaker

[@seffor]

They signed another third stringer already - Jordan Mclaughlin

[@henryviiifake8244]

Extremely tragic. Early career got de-railed massively by injury and never got to reach his expected potential. Even Lonzo was on a path to be a serious 3-and-D player with great playmaking before Greyson Allen more or less ended _his_ career.

[@lorenzozampighi3646]

Lonzo has no cartilage in his knees (some blame on his crappy shoes). The only ones to blame for that is Lonzo/Lavar.

[@6manYT]

Great vid as usual Alex, the jumper is fire aswell I must say

[@AlexHoops]

Thank you brother! How you know about my jumper 😂

[@6manYT]

​@@AlexHoops Ahahaha we call hoodies, "jumpers" in Australia. I can now see how that might've been confusing on an NBA video. Im sure your jumper is wet aswell though

[@AlexHoops]

Lol that makes more sense 😂 I thought somebody was leaking footage from my pickup runs

[@6manYT]

@@AlexHoops 😂the old Ben Simmons footage trick

[@FallUpSlowly]

“WE’RE ROOTING FOR MARKELLE FULTZ!!!”

[@DROPOUTCRIS]

god you are my new favorite nba youtuber. i knew of you for a while through rusty, but god, these videos are just as long and as in depth as they need to be. you dont bloat the videos with unecessary fluff.

[@tyrellmcswain]

i never knew about his injuries till a few nights ago and additionally his unique body. So interesting. Having to relearn his jumper after that extra rib changed everything

[@rapgodreloaded9259]

He was part of the Lonzo draft class. It's sad he hasn't been blessed with good health. Fultz was drafted ahead of Tatum Fox Lonzo and Lauri.

[@XabzintheNBAGuru]

It's unfortunate fr

[@rafiu7660]

As a Laker fan, I'd get him or Dennis Smith Jr. We struggle defensively with both Dlo and AR not being great in that area and Fultz would compliment Dlo's deficiencies perfectly. However, as Game Vincent, Bronny and Hood-Schifino are also there, it'll jam the backcourt by signing Fultz. I would trade Gabe (with maybe a couple of second round picks) for Robert Williams. We seen how great AD was playing with a great defensive centre in Bam at the Olympics, and that would translate with the Timelord too. Last season we also did not have enough bodies to through at Jokic and when AD was on the bench we were getting cooked because Rui had to guard him.

[@XabzintheNBAGuru]

We need an expansion

[@janoycresnova9156]

Who's we?

[@davidfitzgerald3201]

I'd rather have a contraction

[@1kingzeus]

@@janoycresnova9156NBA fans

[@RJNembhardJr]

@@janoycresnova9156we

[@realdreamerschangetheworld7470]

What teams are you thinking?

[@aiirizzy2862]

man i have something close to TOS and it SUCKS cant even imagine how bad it is for him

[@TheTEN24]

Never realized he had Thoracic outlet…makes sense why he can’t shoot anymore that’s a death sentence for pitchers careers in baseball, I wonder if he’ll get another shot

[@tuckerdoyle4492]

God that college jumper was smooooooth. He even had it in Summer League. One of the biggest NBA mysteries

[@mrindeed4339]

You know, i think this is one of the main reasons I’m excited for the new teams being added to the league. With more teams more guys will get more opportunities, hell we might see Fultz and some other under the radar guys get signed and possibly make a difference.

[@adoffvuitton6234]

We still love you in Orlando Markelle ❤

[@blablablaa14]

Grizz should easily fill the Rose spot with Markelle

[@DeeJay_VII]

Doesn’t make sense for them cuz he can’t space the floor

[@konzza]

Why? Rose didn't work for them. Why would Fultz?

[@blablablaa14]

@@konzza They need a quality third string PG and he's a minimum cost with some upside

[@konzza]

@@blablablaa14 They could had just kept Rose or signed Fultz allready, if they wanted/ needed a player like Rose or Fultz.

[@urbaindelva7869]

​​@@konzzaRose is 36, was not in their rotation, and he just retired almost immediately after asking to be released. Fulton is still relatively young and has a lot left to give. However, I don't see him cracking their rotation, either.

[@rverges23]

I've always secretly rooted for this kid. I have no dog in this fight but for those that know, he has or maybe better said, had, the IT factor. He is special with the ball and finishing around the bucket. There's only a few players in the league that are legit special in a different way when they are attacking and he's one of them. Unfortunately he's never been able to get the J fixed and that's a career killer. Still hoping he figures it out or if it's an injury thing that he heals.

[@HaydenJamal]

Left my like, and been subbed AlexHoops.

[@AlexHoops]

🫡🤝

[@icejax.]

Yeah, after living through and seeing the story of the one, DRose Unfold... seeing whats going on with Fultz now is a complete nightmare. There was a different level of excitement I had with Fultz when I saw those Washington highlights and he got drafted.. for me, it almost riveled that of DRose. Fultz was just something Different. He will find a new team. Personally I think The Suns and Brooklyn would be a good place. Always rooting for him, still think he has a chance to be something diff.

[@nokiaboomin]

Great video 🔥🔥🔥🔥💯💯💯👍👍

[@FitNerdz]

Minnesota should sign him for the minimum and play him when KAT is the 5

[@GoZags43]

Uh oh…..

[@swagoneto7922]

Yeah about that…

[@prymates]

He can get a chance on a team. We have seen Dennis Smith Jr and Kris Dunn get comebacks. He does need to focus an off season or two on catch and shoot mechanics though.

[@johnreesekl6249]

I think he should be able to find some place to play. He seems like a good rotational player, at least in the regular season. I don't know how much money he expects, but yeah hard to play in the NBA as a guard if you can't shoot the three.

[@stretchpunchbeef8982]

I think with no pressure to win and the 5 out offense they run, the Jazz would be an interesting fit. If they decide to deal Sexton or Clarkson for draft capital and free up playing time for the young guards, he might be able to have the kind of revival season that Kris Dunn just had there

[@Imhotep397]

Fultz would be great on a team with a ton of scorers…like the Sixers. Some teams need a guy that can effectively distribute and defend, with how agile guard centric the league has gotten, but the NBA is so dysfunctional about offense as if teams have multiple basketballs to score someone like Fuktz that could help a team get over a hump is left behind.

[@bshaddo]

He’d fit in well with the Hawks, where he’d obviously be the backup. Not as good as the starter, and markedly better as a 1 than anyone else on the bench.

[@BakiSmaki27]

Guard is very deep in nba right now. You got decent proven guys like Shamet barely getting deals and they are partially guaranteed. I hope it works out for Fultz though as I believe him to be a decent bench guard that still has some upside.

[@cheetah219]

This is a league where fultz is a FA and bronny has a guaranteed contract as a 55th pick.

[@Collindunks]

Pain

[@hmrhuang]

i can't believe that he's been in the NBA EIGHT years already!

[@shangoat2008]

I remember in the 22-23 season Orlando beat the shit out of my Celtics like 3 times. Markelle played a big part.

[@jolo2380]

Where is Detroit?!?!? They should get him for assets!!

[@BabylonGateLA]

Lil buddies, please do a prayer for Markelle because they F-ed up his shot 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@maccusmc]

He played pretty good with my Magic. He's a natural playmaker. I honestly have no idea why he's not signed. It has to be health

[@ShotClockHoops]

He can be a Shaun Livingston type of player

[@cnl1213]

Nothing wrong with taking a stroll in the G league and working on his 3 and D. If Lonzo can make strides in his shot, so can Markelle. Honestly, at this point of his career, mental game and leadership is probably more valuable skills to add.

[@willingexile3374]

This is a risk on drafting for potential instead of on-court performance. Then all the unreasonable expectations come up that create additional difficulty for some young players to handle. I hope with NIL the NCAA can decrease the number of one-and-done players so that they can develop more. If Fultz is serious about getting back, he should probably take a year off completely, rehab, and work on his game. The only other plausible route is G-League or overseas.

[@alitoroganan2442]

I hope he gets to play in gleague and build his middy and hopefully 3s, work his way up again.

[@lima9550]

ayeeee 100k!!!!!!

[@frankenviews4069]

My best guess is that he suffered a career ending injury before his rookie season. But he needed to get paid something, so his team spun some bs about rehab and getting better and he's been able to scam some contracts but his career should have ended way back then. There was never ever really any hope to get back to what people were expecting. Kind of like how Ben Simmons is stringing the Brooklyn Nets along when his career already ended a couple of seasons ago.

[@MrBubblecake]

There’s no future in the league for a guard that can’t shoot unless they’re 6’6+ with great defense, great playmaking/passing and world class athleticism

[@ramonalejandrosuare]

We talk about what if with him, but what it really comes down to is the fact that he cannot consistently sink the 3 to stick around. A career 27.4% shooting percentage isn't going to get it done for a guard in today's NBA.

[@Typerist]

I hope he can carve a Livingston type of career. He didn't have the 3 pt shooting but a beast midrange. I think he can still be a good contributor on a team that can utilize him. But i guess he needs to be on a level that he can be a scoring threat on the court for teams to pick him up bec now as sad as it sounds he is just another ben simmons on the court but ben is way bigger so he can be a servicable bigman lol

[@jondoe4624]

Fultz's issues were mental, at least at first, not physical. I lived that saga for years as a sixers fan

[@SmittyWitTheVibes]

Fultz & his team should be begging the Spurs for an opportunity to play w/ Wemby & learn from CP & Pop

[@oyasumipunpunk]

man that was so depressing. im going to subscribe but i DONT want to see more stuff like this lol

[@AlexHoops]

Fair enough 😂 this was a sad video to make

[@uglied6265]

I think he should go to Europe for 1-2 years. Be the main guy over there and play mins to get his confidence back and then see where he is after that

[@we_lit6001]

Think Fultz still has a chance in the NBA.. just gotta play for a team that have great shooters, make him the 1 or 2 depending on how well the other starter shoots the ball, cus Fultz still defends pretty well and can run an offense, he can still score the ball, like if the warriors, bucks, 76ers, lakers, even the spurs, Fultz can play off of the ball or with the ball.

[@NotZay]

Yes

[@pauljaimepanis8362]

The hawks could use a point guard off the bench. Similar to TJ McConnell in the pacers. No shooting but has good ball handling and passing. Tho fultz is a better defender

[@naisu_nhan]

Crazy that Markell Fultz and Ben Simmons became the same kind of player

[@bigboi3512]

The Magic really did give him opportunity.

[@BrianLawrence-vk3pu]

It's a money issue. He is demanding above the league vet minimum. Teams can't pay above 3 a year because of the new CBA. If he accepts the minimum, he can get a prove it unguaranteed second year. He just thinks he is worth more. Maybe he was but new money limits make it difficult.

[@fritz334]

I think the thunder should pick him up on a 2 year deal to run the second unitTopic is up and running.

[@stuffstuff8942]

Did the story for his shoulder injury ever come out

[@HoopsAficionado]

I'm surprised you haven't addressed the conspiracy theories out there that claim he got into a really bad motorbike accident like Jay Williams. According to this line of thinking, his injuries wrecked his ability to shoot and go by his man.

[@dadonbaybeerobinson4856]

Crazy he is a starter

[@iamkailong]

Nugget should sign him instead. Yes his 3 pt shooting is not good, but it is overall a very good replacement for kcp. imo he can do for for nuggets than weskbrook.

[@janoycresnova9156]

It was over for him before it even started

[@somericanguy]

He played hurt all of last season. He's recovering from the knee injury

[@mdwesquire]

The Magic couldn’t have him out there when Franz Wagner also refuses to take 3s.

[@patientzero291]

He can sign for 2 years to get that NBA medical at 10 years at least and probably become bench point guard in the league

[@tj2wavyyy]

Where did you get the mid-range shooting averages?

[@AlexHoops]

cleaningtheglass.com

[@peamut547]

Basketball reference also shows it

[@tj2wavyyy]

@@peamut547 thank you 🐐

[@JordanGurney]

The Pistons might be that dumb to think that - "Oh, a former number # 1 overall pick, maybe he's still got some potential". How'd that work out with Marvin Bagley or James Wiseman?

[@Miles_305]

This is fair. His lack of health, non shooting and age/time he's had to get it sorted just doesn't make it worth it😔

[@SBJohnson86]

Uhm..Yeah, I had some comments about him way back that were less than nice. I didn't know he had an actual medical condition. I was calling him the first Ben Simmons.

[@antlew78]

Seeing that Kyle Lowry and Reggie Jackson are my backups, I would take Markell’s back on a min

[@bighoopsfan]

ok but why does fultz in phx kinda make sense...

[@antoinemims3952]

He gotta be more aggressive and average 15 and 10 with some defense

[@deandrepage1048]

22% for 3-pointers

[@luemoua2640]

Come to Charlotte.

[@-13eNnY-]

Short answer: he sucks. Long answer: he sucks and there's not much incentive to just bet that he'll get way better and he's not a good enough defender or rebounder to still contribute while he figures stuff out. League is too talented now for a guy like him to even play meaningful minutes on most teams. Even teams who are just awful and aren't playing for anything would rather just tank or try to develop younger players with more potential upside.

[@calebford6318]

Boston could use him. He would be surrounded by shooters and he is clearly better than Boston’s 2nd guard off the bench (Lonnie walker)

[@patrik32]

Denver could use someone on his position

[@knabela]

TOS sucks - source: I have TOS. I just hope Kelle can get healthy enough, consistently enough, that he can get opportunities to contribute and just hoop. He's a great teammate, and seems like a nice guy.

[@mottcovers3173]

PHX needs a point guard

[@ohinatabae8772]

I swear up and down he would be perfect next to Jokic in denver

[@knowEgo]

He doesn’t have an NBA skill set….didn’t have it from day one! If this was 2005 he may be okay he could be a Tyrese Evans type player but in the Three point era he has no value!

[@edmunoz2353]

for a rookie picked as a second rounder he was pretty good, but then he never improved

[@elitetv1735]

2:33 looks like he has about 11 more years left in the league according to these stats

[@JohnDoe-fi2ot]

Fultz is injured. Dealing with TOS again

[@Ziddy2349]

Suggs and Cole Anthony, no reason to resign